The U.S. Open, known for its A-list attendees, will see President Donald Trump in attendance for Sunday’s men’s singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The event, a major tennis tournament, has historically attracted a diverse range of high-profile guests, but this year’s lineup stands out for its mix of political and celebrity presence.
Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish tennis star and world No. 2, expressed his honor at playing under the watchful eyes of a sitting U.S. president. The presence of Trump at the marquee event contrasts with the usual guest list, which this year has seen an overwhelming majority of Hollywood elites flock to the stands.
The guest list for the Grand Slam tournament this summer has included several notable figures with publicly left-leaning ideologies. Seven-time Olympic gold medalist and American gymnastics icon Simone Biles attended Coco Gauff’s second-round victory last week. Her appearance came months after she caught fierce backlash on social media for sparring with OutKick host Riley Gaines over transgender athletes competing in girls and women’s sports.
Gaines, a staunch advocate for women’s rights, called out a Minnesota high school whose softball team won a state championship in June with a transgender pitcher rostered on the team. Biles responded to the post, calling Gaines ‘truly sick.’ The exchange highlighted the contentious debate over transgender athletes in sports and the polarization surrounding the issue.
Other notable attendees included actor Alec Baldwin, who took to his social media just last month to rail against what he called Trump’s ‘insane’ takeover of the Washington, D.C., police force, warning his followers that other cities and even sports leagues may be next. Late-night host Stephen Colbert was also in attendance last week. Similar to Baldwin, he took aim at the president this week after Trump said Chicago was the ‘worst and most dangerous city’ on social media.
Colbert made a sharp retort during his monologue, criticizing Trump’s assertion about Chicago, saying ‘Worst and most dangerous? Two words: ‘F— you!’ The comedian also told Trump to ‘go f— yourself’ in July after the president celebrated the cancellation of his show.
Shonda Rhimes, the creator of popular television series such as ‘Scandal’ and ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ was also in attendance. She reportedly cut ties with the Kennedy Center earlier this year after Trump was named chairman of the performing arts center in Washington, D.C.
The USTA, the governing body of tennis in the United States, is responsible for selecting the A-list attendees for the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. Amanda Wight, the USTA Director of International Development, emphasized that the celebrity program is a key marketing tool for the event.
According to Wight, the men’s final is the most sought-after ticket. And this year, President Trump will be there for it. The USTA confirmed that the president will be in attendance as a client guest but did not identify who he would be a guest of. Trump has previously attended the tournament in years past.
While the USTA maintains a neutral stance on political affiliations, it does not invite New York city or state politicians unless they have a formal role at the event. Federal employees are limited in what they can accept, so the USTA offers tickets for purchase or as invited guests of sponsors and seat holders.
The men’s final between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is set to begin on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET. Alcaraz expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and emphasized the importance of having a president at the event to support tennis and the match.