Carlos Alcaraz will face Jannik Sinner in the 2025 US Open final, but the spotlight will not be on tennis alone as the match will also be attended by Donald Trump and the Spaniard has some thoughts on his attendance.
The 2024 Wimbledon winner will step onto the Arthur Ashe Stadium court in New York on Sunday to take on his famous Italian rival, following his semifinal victory over the legendary Novak Djokovic.
Alcaraz was asked about his reaction to learning that the President would be among the spectators and his response made clear both his appreciation and his focus on the task ahead.
“It is a privilege for the tournament having the president from every country to support the tournament,” Alcaraz said. “To support tennis, to support the match.
“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.”
This is not the first time a U.S. president has attended the tournament. In 2000, then-President Bill Clinton made an appearance, while former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were present during opening night festivities in 2023.
Trump himself has a prior history with the US Open, though not all of it favorable. He last attended in 2015, during the early months of his first presidential campaign, and on that occasion, he was met with boos from spectators during the quarterfinals.
His connection to the tournament also extended beyond attendance; his administration once held a suite inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, located near the television broadcast booths, though that arrangement was suspended in 2017.
Alcaraz reveals plan to beat Sinner
While the presence of the U.S. President has drawn headlines, the sporting narrative centers on the latest chapter in one of modern tennis’s defining rivalries as Alcaraz and Sinner are set to contest their third consecutive Grand Slam final.
They’re continuing a sequence that has defined the men’s game in recent years since the era of the Big Four (Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray) came to a close.
The two have already played two epic encounters this season including a five-hour battle at the French Open in Paris and another tightly contested match in London in Wimbledon, with Alcaraz winning at Roland Garros and Sinner at the All-England Tennis Club.
Seven of the last ten majors have been claimed between them, underlining the dominance of what many are calling the “SinCaraz” era and Carlos admitted that preparation for this final involves careful study of their previous meetings.
“If I play against Jannik,” Alcaraz said, “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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