Donald Trump’s ‘Weird’ Presence Blamed for Dull Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner US Open Final

The tennis world had been buzzing with anticipation for yet another chapter in the riveting rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the US Open. These two youngsters, often hailed as the future pillars of men’s tennis, delivered on expectations with jaw-dropping rallies, punishing baseline exchanges, and moments that kept fans glued to their seats. With Alcaraz’s title triumph, they became the first pair of men to win all four Grand Slams for two straight years since 2007. It’s always a bliss to watch these two in action. However, according to the former German tennis player Andrea Petkovic, an unexpected court-side figure managed to dim the spotlight a bit.

The US President, Donald Trump’s, surprise appearance at Arthur Ashe Stadium during the men’s final stirred mixed reactions among fans and players. While some sections of the crowd erupted in applause, others responded with scattered boos. The US Open men’s final was delayed by 30 minutes because of extra security measures put in place for President Donald Trump’s visit. Initially, the match was scheduled to start at 14:00 local time in NY, but was pushed back because of huge queues outside the stadium. Securities were increased significantly at the venue, and each and every fan attending the match had to go through the scanners. Trump was last seen at Flushing Meadows in 2015. Upon making a comeback to this mega tennis event, he was seen raising his hands towards the spectators before him.

He reappeared shortly before the US national anthem began in the pre-match ceremony. He watched from a private suite in the Arthur Ashe Stadium alongside his Cabinet members and family. But surprisingly, there were quite a few empty stands when the players walked inside the stadium. Reason? Probably, because of the chaotic scenes outside, with thousands standing in the queue to enter the stadium. Seeing these scenes, Andrea Petkovic shared her thoughts on her blog. She wrote, “The men’s final, on the other hand, was weird. I don’t mean the tennis itself, but the atmosphere. The delay of the match due to increased security measures (US-American president Donald J. Trump attended the event as Rolex’s guest) and the half-empty stadium at the very beginning of the first set when people were still waiting outside to be let in, took a tinge of the importance away. It felt more like a very good first-week match rather than Sinncaraz III.” It was Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s third consecutive final after the French Open and Wimbledon.

Mixed reactions came in on Trump’s presence, but the USTA had already asked broadcasters to refrain from showing any negative reaction towards Trump during the US President’s appearance. However, several other tennis bigwigs also shared their thoughts on this. For example, John McEnroe said, “Not every day that happens,” while he was live during ESPN’s broadcast.

But another tennis legend, Martina Navratilova, labeled the delay to the US Open men’s final as “insane.” She said, “I don’t know whose idea it was [to enter like this], but it’s insane. It is a delay that they’ve never had [the players], because all the venues now have a roof. They really need to time it just right, to eat just right, to warm up. Both are in the same boat, but it’s really unfortunate. Let’s spare a thought for the thousands of people waiting outside, in the drizzle…” How did Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner react to this, and what were Donald Trump’s thoughts seeing two of the finest in action?

Donald Trump praises Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s “unbelievable talent”

When Carlos Alcaraz first heard the news about Donald Trump’s appearance at the US Open final, he said, “I think that it is a privilege for the tournaments having the president from every country just to support the tournament, to support tennis, and to support the match.” He also added, “For me, playing in front of him … I will try not to think about it. I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it, but I think attending the tennis match it’s great for tennis to have the president at the final.“

Back in July, King Felipe VI traveled all the way from Madrid to London to watch Carlos Alcaraz play at the Wimbledon final. That time, he ended up on the losing side, but this time, Alcaraz did manage to secure a victory. But nevertheless, these youngsters have already started to pull some big names in their matches, and why not? They’re truly exceptional!

Before the US Open final, both Alcaraz and Sinner were instructed to arrive at the grounds earlier than usual in order to avoid disruption to their preparations for the final. What was Jannik Sinner’s reaction to the delay due to Donald Trump’s presence in the stands? Well, the Italian said, “No, it was fine. They told us in a huge amount before that the match started at 2:30, so we were not warming up twice. It was all fine.” He also revealed that he wasn’t too much impacted when he saw thousands of empty seats while entering the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sinner said he knew that they’re going to be full and packed, later on.

In the final, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner by 6-2,3-6,6-1,6-4. Now, coming to Trump’s reaction to Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner’s match, the POTUS admitted, “Well, I loved it. First of all, the two players [Alcaraz and Sinner] have unbelievable talent. It just seemed that they hit the ball harder than I’ve ever seen before. Incredible talent — and I enjoyed it. I used to go all the time, but lately it’s a little bit more difficult to go. I really enjoyed it.“

Although there were some reports of him getting some boos and jeers inside the stadium, Donald Trump stated that the fans were “nice” to him during his time inside the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium. What are your thoughts on Trump’s presence causing a bit of a delay before the final?