Trump booed at US Open final, fans stuck in security lines as match starts

Thousands of tennis fans were stuck in long queues outside New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the US Open men’s final was delayed by half an hour due to security protocols to accommodate the presence of US President Donald Trump.

It was the first time a sitting president has attended the tournament since Bill Clinton in 2000. Trump last went in 2015 while campaigning for the Republican nomination and was loudly booed by the rowdy New York crowd.

The men’s final featured world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in their third straight grand slam final. Alcaraz claimed the Roland Garros title in June and Sinner took the Wimbledon crown in July, but the Spaniard won again with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory, taking the No.1 ranking from Sinner.

After Trump flew in from Washington, he briefly appeared courtside just before 1.45pm New York time on Sunday (3.45am Monday AEST), and was met with a spattering of cheers and boos from the small number of people who had made it inside the stadium. Most fans were stuck in long queues outside, waiting to clear Secret Service security.

Organisers pushed back the game’s start time from 2pm to 2.30pm “to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats”. But the stadium was only about half full during the opening ceremony, and many seats were still vacant as the first set began.

Trump was also booed by the crowd when he appeared on the big screen during the performance of the US national anthem – though some people clapped and cheered. The crowd roared again when Trump appeared later during a break between games – mostly boos, according to the travelling press pack.

His team disputed those reports. “All these Fake News Losers do is lie because their pea-sized brains have been irreversibly destroyed by TDS [Trump derangement syndrome],” the White House said.

The president attended as a guest of Swiss luxury watchmaker Rolex, notable because of his decision to impose 39 per cent tariffs on US imports from Switzerland – tariffs substantially higher than for most other countries’ products.

Trump’s invitation to the Rolex suite was first reported by tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg on his site Bounces, which also revealed the United States Tennis Association had asked broadcasters not to show the crowd’s reaction to the president.

“We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the president’s attendance in any capacity,” the USTA said in an email to broadcasters obtained by Rothenberg.

Celebrities spotted courtside early in the afternoon to watch Sinner and Alcaraz included Bruce Springsteen, Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor, Danny DeVito, Kevin Hart, Dakota Fanning and basketballer Steph Curry.

Earlier, Trump briefly answered questions from journalists as he left Washington. Asked if he was ready to proceed to additional sanctions against Russia over its ongoing war on Ukraine, he said: “Yes, I am.”

Asked whether he would consider attacking Venezuelan drug cartels inside that country, Trump said: “You’re going to find out.” Last week, the US conducted a lethal strike on an alleged drug vessel linked to the Tren de Aragua cartel, killing 11 people in international waters off the coast of Venezuela.

And he took issue with a reporter – NBC News White House correspondent Yamiche Alcindor – who asked him whether he was declaring war on Chicago after he threatened to unleash “apocalyptic force” on the country’s third-largest city.

“When you say that, darling, that’s fake news,” Trump told her. “Be quiet. Listen. You never listen, that’s why you’re second-rate. We’re not going to war, we’re going to clean up our cities … that’s not war, that’s common sense.”

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