Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were due to begin their US Open final around 2pm local time in New York but the arrival of President Donald Trump meant the schedule changed
Tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner were made to wait to start their US Open final after the arrival of President Donald Triump at Flushing Meadows. The match was due to get underway just after 2pm local time (7pm in the UK), but was pushed back by at least half an hour.
The delay appeared to be caused, at least in part, by the increased security needed for the president’s arrival. The Arthur Ashe Stadium was comfortably less than half-full after the advertised start time, with fans waiting outside, and many were still outside when organisers decided not to delay the start any further.
Trump was the first sitting president to attend the final of the US Open since Bill Clinton in 2000. He was greeted by a mixture of boos and cheers upon making his presence known.
“As a result of the security measures in place, and to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats, we have pushed the start time of today’s match to 2:30 pm ET,” the US Open account wrote on social media. “I’ve never seen it that busy,” Sky Sports pundit Laura Robson said when photos emerged of fans waiting outside.
During Sky Sports’ coverage, multiple grand slam champion Martina Navratilova noted that there is only one entry for fans to eter the stadium. Questions were asked about how long to push back the start, with both players having begun to warm up when the delay was confirmed.
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Sinner and Alcaraz went into the tournament as the top two seeds, and are facing off in a grand slam final for the third time this year. Alcaraz won an epic French Open final in June, with Sinner getting revenge at Wimbledon the following month.
Alcaraz hasn’t dropped a set all tournament long, claiming a 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 win against Novak Djokovic in his semi. World number one Sinner needed four sets to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in his semi, and remains in contention to go back-to-back after beating Taylor Fritz in last year’s final.
The women’s singles final took place on Saturday, with Aryna Sabalenka triumphing over Amanda Anisimova. It was a second straight grand slam final defeat for Anisimova, who gained revenge over her Wimbledon conqueror Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals but was no match for Sabalenka.
“It is crazy, all the lessons were worth it for this one. I’m speechless,” Sabalenka said after defending her title in New York. “Congrats Amanda on reaching back-to-back finals at the slams. I know how much it hurts to lose but trust me you will win one, you play incredible tennis.
“Congrats on what you and your team have achieved after your comeback. You will enjoy it more after these tough losses in finals.”
