Carlos Alcaraz Makes Feelings Clear on Donald Trump’s Return to US Open Final

What do the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Florida, the NCAA wrestling championships in Philadelphia, and the FIFA Club World Cup final in New Jersey have in common? They are all major sporting events in the US, yes. But more specifically, they are major sporting events where President Donald Trump has made appearances. Up next is the US Open final in New York. And Carlos Alcaraz, one of the finalists, has a few thoughts.

During the post-match press conference following his semifinal victory over Novak Djokovic, when he was asked to share his reaction on the US President coming for the final, the Spaniard said, “It is a privilege for the tournament having the president from every country to support the tournament, to support tennis, to support the match.” But as excited as he is, he’s going to try to keep his mind off who’s sitting in the stands as much as possible.

“For me playing in front of him, to be honest, I will try not to be focused and I will try not to think about it. I don’t want myself to be nervous because of it. But it’s great for tennis to have the president into the final,” he added. Well, it won’t be the first time that a sitting US President will be seen at the hard court slam. Twenty-five years ago, Bill Clinton attended the 2000 edition while he was in office. In 2023, former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle were present during the opening night of the US Open. But speaking of Trump’s arrival, it’s more of a return than a debut.

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For the uninitiated, his last appearance at the Grand Slam was in 2015. It was a forgettable experience as Trump was booed during the quarterfinals of the tournament, months after kicking off his 2016 presidential campaign. Interestingly, Trump’s administration once controlled a suite at the US Open. It was adjacent to the television broadcasting booth in Arthur Ashe; the suite was later suspended in 2017.

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Switching back to tennis, it seems avid fans are in for a cracker of a battle. After all, it’s going to be SinCaraz mania, again, taking over New York. And Alcaraz has already made intentions clear on his tactics.

Carlos Alcaraz reveals ‘final’ strategy against arch rival Jannik Sinner

After the 5-hour-29-minute epic in Paris and a tense encounter in London, it’s time for a third-straight slam final between Sinner and Alcaraz. Was there any doubt? After all, seven of the last ten Grand Slam singles have been split between the two.

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Before Sinner confirmed his final spot on Friday, Alcaraz was asked if he had a plan for the World No.1. And he does. The four-time slam champion simply revealed, “If I play against Jannik, I am going to take things about the last matches that I have played against him. The last one or the last three matches, I am gonna take note. I will see what they did wrong or what I did great just to approach the final in a good way. Let’s see.”

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