Is Donald Trump a tennis fan and why is he at the US Open final?
The US Open is one of the biggest events for celebrity spotting on both the tennis and sporting calendars, so it comes as no surprise to regularly see so many big names in the stands of the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
However, in Sunday’s 2025 US Open men’s singles final between world No 1 Jannik Sinner and world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz, no famous face present will be more recognisable — or perhaps more controversial — than President Donald Trump.
The presence of the POTUS has got everyone talking in the build-up to the highly anticipated final between the world’s two best players, but why will he be there — and what do both Alcaraz and Sinner think about it?
Here, we take a look.
Does Donald Trump like tennis?
Though President Trump may be most famous for his love of golf, he is also a big tennis fan and has regularly appeared in the stands at the US Open over the past four decades.
A native of New York, he appears to have first started appearing at the tournament regularly during the late 1980s, when he first surged into public prominence.
Trump then made regular appearances at the tournament for the best part of three decades, though this will mark his first appearance at the tournament since 2015.
Amid his first Presidential campaign, he was widely booed when he was shown on camera during the 2015 women’s singles quarter-final between Venus and Serena Williams.
That remains his last appearance until Sunday, and — controversially — it has emerged that broadcasters have been instructed to mute any potential disruptions or protests should he be shown on the screen inside Ashe.
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Why is he at the final?
When it first emerged that Trump would be present at the final, one big question emerged: who had invited him?
And, as first reported by Ben Rothenberg in Bounces, it is Rolex that has invited him to sit in their sponsor box inside the stadium.
Rolex is a brand perhaps more synonymous with tennis than any other, with several of the sport’s biggest names, including Alcaraz, sponsored by the brand.
They also have significant relationships with all four Grand Slam tournaments, and the move to invite Trump suggests they are keen to keep POTUS well connected to both them and the sport.
What do Alcaraz and Sinner think?
With news of Trump’s presence emerging before Friday’s semi-finals, the winners of the two matches were always likely to be asked about his attendance.
And, after his straight-sets win over Novak Djokovic during the first semi-final, 2022 US Open champion Alcaraz offered a diplomatic assessment of the situation.
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.
“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.
“It’s great for tennis. But on Sunday, my job is to play my best tennis and not let anything else get in the way.”
Sinner was not asked about Trump’s presence during the English part of his press conference, but reportedly offered a similar answer when asked by Italian media.
