US Open final delayed for 48 minutes after organisers issue bizarre Donald Trump plea to broadcasters

The US Open men’s singles final was delayed by a staggering 48 minutes due to the presence of US President Donald Trump.

The final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, which was due to begin at 2pm Eastern Time (7pm UK time), was initially pushed back to 2:30pm.

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In a post on social media, tournament organisers explained the delay was due to ‘the security measures in place’ and ‘to ensure that fans have additional time to get to their seats.’

However, the delay was pushed back an extra 18 minutes before Sinner served the first ball of the final.

Even then, Sky Sports cameras showed what looked like hundreds of fans still waiting to take their seat inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It’s not just the start time that Trump’s visit forced a major alteration to.

As part of the President’s visit, the US Open requested for broadcasters not to highlight any reactions.

A memo sent from the United States Tennis Association [USTA] read: “We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions to the President’s attendance in any capacity.”

Trump, a New York native, last visited the tournament in 2015 ahead of his first term as president.

This time he’s been invited by a sponsor, and will watch from a corporate suite with special security measures put in place.

Trump was a runner-up to Kamala Harris in the state of New York during the 2024 election, taking 43.7 per cent of the vote to her 56.3 per cent.

In Queens Country, which hosts the US Open at Flushing Meadows, he received a 37.7 per cent vote to Harris’ 63.3 per cent.

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The 79-year-old was in fact born in Queens himself in Jamaica Hospital in 1946 and grew up in the area, while his Trump Tower skyscraper is 11 miles west in Manhattan.

Sporting events have played a key part in Trump’s second term, with the 47th president attending the Philadelphia Eagles’ Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs in February.

Later in the year he was at Chelsea’s 3-0 Club World Cup win over Paris Saint-Germain.

Meanwhile he has regularly attended UFC fights, and also played multiple rounds of golf with sporting icon Tiger Woods.

Reactions to his presence have been mixed, with some boos heard at the Club World Cup at the MetLife Stadium which were met with cheers.

By far his worst reception came during his first term at the baseball World Series in October 2019 when he attended Game 5 between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros at Nationals Park in DC.

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Boos and chants of ‘lock him up’ were heard, having received just four per cent of the vote in the District of Columbia during his 2016 election win.

In 2024, months before his second election win, he received his biggest reception when he arrived at UFC 302 alongside president and CEO Dana White.

The crowd in New Jersey stood up to applaud the businessman turned politician.

Broadcaster Joe Rogan, who publicly backed him, commented live: “The round of applause he is getting right now is pretty staggering, and you had to imagine that was what was going to happen.”

The US Open final between Alcaraz and Sinner gets underway at 7pm UK time, with the two winning the past seven Grand Slams.