President Donald Trump made a public appearance at the US Open on Sunday, drawing an enthusiastic response from many in attendance. Trump was seen interacting with fans, tossing signed “Make America Great Again” hats as well as US Open merchandise, and stopping for photos with supporters.
The appearance took place in New York City, a location not typically known for being politically favorable to the former president. This marked Trump’s first visit to the US Open since 2015, when he was booed heavily during his presidential campaign.
This time, however, the mood appeared significantly different. Trump engaged with attendees at the stadium, signing autographs and posing for pictures. According to some reports, he received more cheers than boos upon arrival.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the final match, referred to playing in front of Trump as a “privilege.”
After the match, Trump spoke positively about the experience, saying, “I loved it. First of all, the two players have unbelievable talent. It just seemed they hit the ball harder than I’ve ever seen before.” He added, “I didn’t know what to expect. Usually, you’d say it’s a somewhat progressive crowd—but they were great. The fans were really nice.”
There had been media speculation that broadcasters were instructed not to show crowd reactions to Trump’s presence, in an effort to downplay potential negative responses. However, the US Tennis Association clarified that the decision was made to keep the broadcast focused on the match itself. The official White House pool feed did capture the audience’s reaction, which reportedly included loud applause.
Trump noted that although attending such events has become “a little more difficult” for him in recent years, he “really enjoyed” being at the match.