New York [US], September 8 : US President Donald Trump took a sarcastic dig at the spectators, saying "fans were great" after being booed by them during the US Open final.
The fans expressed their resentment, which stemmed from his presence causing an unprecedented delay in the pulsating contest between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Trump appeared on the radar of critics and fans who openly voiced their discontent about his arrival at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, leading to a delay in the US Open final. Trump's appearance at the US Open final forced the contest to be delayed approximately by 50 minutes due to security measures in place to accommodate him.
He popped up on the big screen during the national anthem before the men's final kicked off. He was seen standing in salute as a burst of applause and cheers echoed across the stadium, but boos soon drowned it out, and Trump responded with a smirk. After the first set, the US President appeared on the screen for a second time and stayed there for some time, causing fans to boo even longer. For most of the time, the reaction of fans to Trump was muted during the telecast.
While commending the spirited performance from both stars, which ended with Alcaraz lifting the title, Trump didn't shy away from taking a dig at the spectators and told reporters, "I loved it. The two players have unbelievable talent. It just seemed they hit the ball harder than anything I have seen before. Incredible talent. The fans were really nice. I didn't know what to expect. Usually, you would say that would be a somewhat 'progressive' crowd, as they say nowadays. The fans were great."
Trump's return to the US Open bore an uncanny resemblance to his last trip. In 2015, Trump was booed after leaving a match between the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus.
Various visuals surfaced on social media showcasing fans swarming the stadium and forming huge lines. Even after delaying the final, seats remained empty and several fans missed the opening phase of the game.
Former tennis star Martina Navratilova lambasted Trump's appearance on X and wrote, "It's 14:00 and more than half empty, only one way to get in. Thank you trump!!!"
In the final, Alcaraz dished out a masterclass to oust his greatest rival by 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a contest that lasted for 2 hours and 42 minutes. The 22-year-old's heroics in New York ensured that he would dethrone Sinner from the world number one ranking and end the Italian's 65-week reign at the summit.