Carlos Alcaraz wins his 2nd U.S. Open at match delayed by Trump’s attendance
President Trump attended the U.S. Open men’s tennis finals on Sunday in Rolex’s luxury box, stepping out of the suite briefly for an on-camera appearance during the national anthem. He drew mixed cheers and boos from the half-empty stadium.
Due to enhanced security for the president’s attendance, many ticketholders stood in long lines outside the venue waiting to get in as the match began.
Photos showed Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour standing next to Trump as he waved to the crowd. Rolex was among the companies sponsoring the tournament.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain emerged victorious over rival Italy’s Jannik Sinner in four sets, winning his second U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens in New York City.
Sunday’s match was the third straight Grand Slam final between the two players and their 15th time facing one another since 2021. The pair dubbed “The New Two” or “Sincaraz” have gone back and forth in rankings. Alcaraz walked into the game ranked number 2, below Sinner, and left with a $5 million check and the number 1 spot.
After the win, Alcaraz thanked his opponent and joked: “I am seeing you more than my family!”
A noisy national anthem
The televised event began a bit later than expected and viewers at home could only hear muffled noise when the camera showed President Trump during the national anthem. The U.S. Tennis Association had issued guidance to broadcasters to edit out any crowd reaction to the president, according to multiple reports. NPR was not able to independently confirm the guidance. At Trump’s last U.S. Open appearance, in 2015, he was booed loudly by the stadium.
“We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions,” USTA spokesman Brendan McIntyre told The Athletic. However, videos of a booing crowd with a few claps quickly made it to social media. The USTA did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
The president’s outing with Rolex, a Swiss company, comes mere weeks after imposing a 39% tariff on Swiss products. The tariff is more than twice the rate agreed upon for the European Union and about four times greater than the U.K. Rolex did not immediately respond to NPR’s request for comment.
It has been over two decades since a sitting president attended the U.S. Open — the last time was Bill Clinton in 2000. However, Trump has made a point to attend high profile sporting events in his second term. He attended the Super Bowl earlier this year and recently committed to hosting a UFC fight at the White House next year.
Prior to his presidency, Trump had a suite at the U.S. Open, but gave it up in 2017 during his first term.
Cannabis works better than opioids for back pain, in two European studies
Millions of Americans use weed to treat chronic pain, but there's little high quality research on whether it works. New findings suggest it can be effective for low back pain, on par with opioids.
As deadline for Trump’s colleges compact looms, schools signal dissent
Of the original nine schools that received the Trump administration's Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, the majority have indicated they are not planning on signing.
Can collagen supplements improve your skin? Here’s what the research shows
With age comes wisdom. And wrinkles. And joint pain. In wellness circles, the buzz is that collagen supplements can help with all these concerns. But are these claims something you should swallow?
Centrist Rodrigo Paz wins Bolivia’s presidential runoff, topping right-wing rival
Centrist senator Rodrigo Paz won Bolivia's presidency with 54% of the vote, ending 20 years of rule by the Movement Toward Socialism party amid economic turmoil.
Trump announces tariffs and an end to U.S. aid to Colombia amid clash over drug trade
The U.S. will slash assistance to Colombia and enact tariffs on its exports because the country's leader, Gustavo Petro, "does nothing to stop" drug production, President Donald Trump said Sunday.
Sam Rivers, bassist and founding member of Limp Bizkit, dies aged 48
"Sam Rivers wasn't just our bass player — he was pure magic. The pulse beneath every song, the calm in the chaos, the soul in the sound," Limp Bizkit said in a social media post Saturday.
