President Trump’s Mixed Reception at U.S. Open Amid Tariff Tensions with Rolex and Crowd Boos

In a surprising turn of events, President Trump made an appearance at the US Open men’s tennis finals on Sunday, seated in the luxurious Rolex box. Stepping out momentarily for a brief on-camera appearance during the national anthem, his arrival was met with a mix of cheers and boos from the partially filled stadium.

Enhanced security measures associated with the president’s visit resulted in lengthy queues outside the venue as the match commenced, causing inconvenience for many ticketholders.

Photographs captured Rolex CEO Jean-Frederic Dufour standing alongside Trump as he greeted the crowd. Rolex was one of the tournament’s sponsors.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz clinched victory over Italy’s Jannik Sinner in four sets, marking his second US Open title at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York City. This marked the third consecutive Grand Slam final and their 15th encounter since 2021 for the two athletes, often referred to as “The New Two” or “Sincaraz.” Alcaraz entered the game ranked number 2, below Sinner, but left with a $5 million prize and the top ranking.

Following his win, Alcaraz humorously thanked his opponent, commenting, “I seem to be spending more time with you than my own family!”

The televised event experienced some delay and viewers at home could only hear muffled noise during the national anthem when the camera focused on President Trump. Reports suggest that the US Tennis Association had advised broadcasters to omit any crowd reaction related to the president, a guideline NPR was unable to independently verify. During his last US Open appearance in 2015, Trump was greeted with loud boos from the stadium.

According to The Athletic, the USTA stated that they regularly request their broadcasters to avoid showcasing off-court disturbances. However, videos of a booing crowd interspersed with applause swiftly circulated on social media. The USTA has yet to respond to NPR’s request for comment regarding this matter.

The president’s outing with Rolex, a Swiss company, comes less than a month after imposing a 39% tariff on Swiss products. This tariff surpasses the agreed-upon rate for the European Union and is approximately four times higher than that imposed on the UK. Rolex has yet to respond to NPR’s request for comment in this regard.

It has been over two decades since a sitting president attended the US Open — with Bill Clinton being the last in 2000. However, Trump has demonstrated an inclination towards attending high-profile sporting events during his second term, having attended the Super Bowl earlier this year and recently committing to hosting a UFC fight at the White House next year.

Prior to his presidency, Trump held a suite at the US Open, but relinquished it in 2017 during his first term.