President Donald Trump is set to attend the men's final of the U.S. Open on Sunday, marking his return to the event for the first time in a decade. The White House confirmed this visit on Thursday night, indicating that Trump will make a daytrip to Queens, New York, before returning to Washington, D.C., after the match, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. The final will feature the winner of the semifinal match between No. 1 seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime, along with the other semifinal showdown between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
Historically, Trump has been a regular attendee at the U.S. Open, particularly during his years as a New York-area real estate mogul and later as a reality TV star. He often enjoyed watching night-session matches from the suite's balcony and was a familiar presence, frequently appearing on the venue's video screens. However, his attendance came to an abrupt halt after he was booed during a quarterfinal match in September 2015, just months following the launch of his 2016 presidential campaign.
In recent years, Trump's primary residence has shifted away from New York; he now primarily lives at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago. The Trump Organization previously managed a suite at the U.S. Open, located adjacent to the television broadcasting booth in Arthur Ashe Stadium, but officially suspended its control in 2017 during Trump's first year in office.
This weekend's trip is part of a broader trend of Trump focusing his domestic travel on major sporting events and golfing at his own golf courses, rather than on policy announcements or campaign rallies. At these sporting events, the atmosphere has been mixed, often featuring both cheers and boos directed at him from the crowds. In addition to the U.S. Open, Trump has made appearances at several notable events, including the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Florida, UFC fights in Miami and Newark, NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia, and the FIFA Club World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
While Trump's previous association with the U.S. Open is significant, it's notable that the attendance of a sitting president at the tournament is quite rare. The last sitting president to attend was Bill Clinton, who visited the event in 2000. Although former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, made an appearance at the tournament’s opening night in 2023, it has generally been uncommon for current presidents to be present at such events.
