The United States Tennis Association has instructed broadcasters to avoid airing coverage of President Donald Trump’s appearance at the US Open over fears of negative crowd reactions.
The president is expected to attend the US Open Men’s Singles Final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens on Sunday, but networks covering the event have been asked to censor his reception.
“With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony,“ the USTA told broadcasters in an email obtained by tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg.
“We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG [Electronic News Gathering] coverage.”
The instruction is likely an attempt to avoid a repeat of Trump’s last appearance at the US Open in 2015, when the then-presidential candidate was roundly booed by spectators during a quarterfinal match between Venus and Serena Williams.
The 79-year-old president is scheduled to appear on screen during the national anthem ahead of the match between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
A source at ESPN who did not wish to be named told the Daily Beast that coverage of the final will be the same as any other sporting event, and that the network is not planning to alter its broadcast in any way.
In attachments to the press email, the USTA included a section on “talking points and additional facts regarding the President’s visit.” However, the only talking point listed is that “President Trump is planning to watch the US Open Men’s Singles Final from a suite as a sponsor guest.”
The sponsor hosting Trump is Swiss luxury watchmaker Rolex, which has a suite at Ashe Stadium.
The U.S. is the largest market for Swiss watches. Trump imposed a 39 percent tariff on all Swiss imports, including luxury watches, which came into effect on Aug. 7.
The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry has said that the tariffs are “a threat to the entire Swiss economy,” while the Swiss government is currently in talks with the Trump administration to lower the tariffs, which are expected to dramatically increase the price of imported watches.
As a live sporting event, the US Open is subject to all manner of crowd disruptions, which broadcasters cannot control.
In 2023, protesters from the climate action group Extinction Rebellion glued their feet to the floor of the stadium, bringing the US Open semifinal between Karolína Muchová and Coco Gauff to a halt for nearly an hour.
The Daily Beast has contacted the USTA for comment.
