NEW YORK – In an unusual setting for a tennis match, the US Open final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz started 48 minutes late, with US President Donald Trump in attendance.
The Italian and Spanish players are competing for the men’s singles trophy, which was placed next to Trump in the Rolex suite, right in front of the chair umpire.
During the American national anthem sung at the pre-match ceremony by a member of the US military, the cameras focused on Trump, who was singing the anthem and saluting.
The booing was loud in the stadium, and the broadcast soon removed Trump’s image from the screens. There were also people applauding, although in smaller numbers.
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At the start of the match, the stadium stands were only 60% full due to slow entry as a result of security measures implemented by the Secret Service.
Entering the complex was, on the whole, expeditious. What really took time was entering the main stadium.
‘I waited more than 40 minutes. They are doing a very detailed check,’ one fan told CLAY.
Even a mobile phone with a dead battery is cause for suspicion and analysis.
The USTA officially delayed the start of the match until 2:30 p.m., half an hour later. Jannik Sinner won the toss, accompanied by Marat Safin (who is celebrating 25 years since his title at Flushing Meadows), and served the first ball at 2:48 p.m.
Until the end of the first set, the entrance to the stadium remained congested.
