It’s been over a month since the curtains fell on the 2025 US Open, yet its echoes still linger. Sure, Carlos Alcaraz’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Jannik Sinner, sealing his sixth major and second crown in New York while ending the Italian’s 65-week reign at the top, was a moment to remember. But what continues to occupy the minds of many isn’t just the result of their 15th career clash and third straight Grand Slam final, lasting two hours and 42 minutes. It’s the chaos that erupted when former POTUS Donald Trump made his surprise appearance. Until now.

On paper, there was a pretty much valid explanation: the match start time got pushed back by 30 minutes, with the final eventually kicking off at 2:30 p.m. ET instead. The reason? Ramped-up security measures triggered by Trump’s attendance. More thorough checks and increased surveillance led to significant delays for fans trying to get into Arthur Ashe Stadium. Long lines snaked outside, seats remained empty as play began, and thousands didn’t make it inside until the first set was already over. Boy, was it a chaos.

But brushing it off as a mere security formality didn’t exactly sit well with fans. So it was only obvious for Stacey Allaster, the USTA’s Chief Executive of Professional Tennis, to step in and clarify the situation, with a catch, though. She distanced the organization from the chaos, stressing that the USTA hadn’t extended an invitation to Trump and that the Secret Service had taken complete control of Arthur Ashe Stadium from 10 p.m. the previous night.

“Our security people were relieved of their duties, and Secret Service took over, so we had no control over security,” Allaster said at a sports business conference hosted by Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, as compiled by Awful Announcing. “Secret Service, not USTA; three times as long to scan people into the building than our people on Friday for the semifinals.”

Allaster further revealed that around 80 fans had contacted the USTA to voice their frustration over missing out on the Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz clash. However, the USTA chief assured that the organization was addressing its complaints. She went on to defend the memo sent to broadcasters instructing them not to show any potential protests that could arise with Trump in attendance — a directive she said stemmed from lessons learned during the 2023 women’s final.

For those unaware, it was a time when the environmental activists glued their bare feet to the stadium floor. Allaster vocally insisted that ESPN covering that episode for over 45 minutes was pure “nonsensical.” As far as the situation regarding the Trump final is concerned, she maintained, “I want to be very, very clear, we did not censor the media.”

Then again, this was something that didn’t settle in the eyes of many. After all, any protest breaking out during a Grand Slam final, that too, one involving a former U.S. President, would’ve been undeniably newsworthy, at least far beyond simply showing Trump in his suite. Speaking of which, so if USTA didn’t invite the POTUS, why was he at Arthur Ashe Stadium to watch Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in the first place?

Donald Trump attended the Jannik Sinner vs Carlos Alcaraz final as a business move

Of course, the 2025 US Open wasn’t the first time Donald Trump made his appearance, with the POTUS attending the game from the courtside since the 1980s to 2015. The New York socialite was often pictured alongside many other A-listers and star players. Of course, due to his second presidential run, he couldn’t catch up with the sport for over a decade. And even so, as he attended this year to watch Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, it was due to Rolex. The renowned Swiss watchmaker has been one of the major sponsors of the tournament for over seven years.

Further reports from journalist Ben Rothenberg on X that with this move, Rolex was hoping to convince Donald Trump to reduce high tariffs on Switzerland, 39%, to be precise, which were sanctioned by the President last month. Given that the USA is one of the biggest markets for the Swiss manufacturer, there was a risk of losing customers, as the situation would force them to raise prices by around 20–25%. So, call it both a political and a business move from Rolex to reach out to Donald Trump and make him rethink the tariffs.

This was the least done for Trump, considering the USTA and US Open even broke a 143-year-old tradition of displaying the runner-up and the champion trophy on the court in front of all the spectators, which, by the way, was rather kept inside the Rolex suite. We don’t know about the fans, but at least champion Carlos Alcaraz was more than grateful to be able to play in front of the POTUS. “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,” said the Spaniard before the final.

Regardless, one can certainly say that Donald Trump must be pleased to attend the 2025 US Open, even though it came at the cost of fans enduring certain problems. Well, at least it’s clear why they existed in the first place.