Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz set Arthur Ashe Stadium on fire with their explosive US Open final on Sunday. The VIP suites are always stacked with stars, but this time it felt supercharged. Big names like Bruce Springsteen, Stephen Curry, Anna Wintour, and more filled the seats for the showdown. Yet the true head-turner was U.S. President Donald Trump, back at the stadium for the first time in a decade. Did it turn out the way he thought?

It seems so. The President appeared several times on the big screen inside the stadium and on the live broadcast. But the massive security operation that comes with a sitting president made the task “a little bit more difficult.” That didn’t seem to cut down on the excitement for him.

“Well, I loved it,” he told the press following the event. “First of all, the two players have unbelievable talent. It just seemed that they hit the ball harder than I’ve ever seen before. Incredible talent. And I enjoyed it! I used to go all the time, but lately it’s a little bit more difficult to go. I really enjoyed it. They were really nice. The fans were really nice. I didn’t know what to expect. Usually, you would say that would be somewhat progressive, as they say nowadays. Sometimes, some people would call it liberal, but we’ll use the word they like to use, progressive. But they were great. The fans were great.”

It wasn’t the smoothest start to Sunday’s final. Kickoff was delayed by 30-minutes as security tightened entry checks, leaving fans stranded outside. Some complained and others chanted, “Let us in! Let us in!” By the time the match began, plenty of rows were still empty as spectators slowly filled the stands, with some still waiting outside at the start of the second set.

Once play finally got underway, though, the crowd got the spectacle Trump himself had promised. Carlos Alcaraz came out blazing, absorbed Jannik Sinner’s second-set fightback, and powered to a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win in New York. The Spaniard later admitted he tried hard not to think about the U.S. president sitting courtside. It was the only way to keep the pressure off.

After his semifinal against Novak Djokovic, he was asked about his thoughts on Donald Trump attending the event. He said, “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.” Seems like he was successful!

However, there was more happening behind the scenes when it came to the broadcast rules ahead of the men’s final on Sunday. Trump’s last visit to the US Open didn’t exactly go smoothly when fans reacted with mixed feelings in 2015. Because of that, the USTA put strict rules in place this time around.

US Open imposes some restrictions ahead of men’s final

For the unversed, Trump’s last trip to the US Open in 2015 made plenty of headlines. It came during a women’s quarterfinal between Venus and Serena Williams, just after he’d kicked off his presidential campaign. The crowd greeted him with boos, and when his face hit the jumbotron, the noise only got louder. The moment quickly turned into a scene.

Since then, his presence at Flushing Meadows has brought more than mixed cheers and jeers. Security has tightened around his appearances, often delaying match start times. So this year, the US Open tried to stay ahead of things.

Ahead of the final, Daniel Roberts reported on X that USTA emailed broadcasters with a reminder. “USTA spox to @FOS on email @BenRothenberg reported USTA sent broadcasters asking them not to show ‘disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance’: ‘We regularly ask our broadcasters to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions.’” The point? To keep the spotlight on tennis.

Still, confusion spread fast. The USTA later clarified they had not been ordered to impose such a rule. The White House also stepped in, knocking down speculation. “That’s not true,” a White House official told ABC News on Sunday. “We did not ask anyone to censor.” USTA officials echoed the same, denying that broadcasters were told to hide fan reactions or possible protests during the men’s final.

Now, with the US Open done and dusted, the story shifts back to the court. Carlos Alcaraz walked away the champion again, claiming his second title in New York. He now sits at World No. 1, making the victory even sweeter. It only adds more excitement to what the future could bring.