The presence of US President Donald Trump at the US Open men championship on Sunday delayed the iconic event in New York by almost 30 minutes for security control.
When it finally started, thousands of seats in the largest tennis place in the world, with a capacity of almost 24,000 people, were still empty because the security checks caused confusion and slowed entry.
Fans were forced to wait in long rows, some for over an hour, outside the Arthur Ash stadium in Queens. The US Secret Service and other federal security officers checked bags and introduced fans through metal detectors.
Some participants who were still outside the Booed when the match between the rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik started Sinner. Inside the stadium, Trump was also welcomed by a mixture of health and boos.
Here’s what US Open fans had to say about waiting and boooing:
Kevin, a Brooklyn man, said he was waiting for an hour and 15 minutes and still did not reach the entrance and accused Trump for the delay.
“One hundred percent him. Very selfish. I would expect someone to have a little more grace to know that such an event would be detained for him, that he was here, especially in the city that hated him,” he told Reuters.
Maribeth Lodes from New York said her ticket for the Sunday match was $ 350. She shared that she was unable to enter the venue even after she had been in a row for more than an hour and a half.
“It’s ridiculous. I think she’s totally disproportionate to do that.
Almost all participants seemed to have reached their seats for about an hour when Sinner and Alcaraz fought in the second set. Alcaraz eventually won victory in the fourth set.
However, some participants were fine with Trump’s presence. “He can go anywhere, and take part in the match if she wants,” said Karen Stark, tennis retirement fan, who traveled to the finals from Michigan.
“Fans were really nice”: Trump
Trump, who spoke to reporters after flying back to Washington from New York on Sunday, said he “loved” participation in the match and appreciated the “incredible talent of both players”.
“The fans were really nice. I didn’t know what to expect,” Trump added. “You would usually say it would be somewhat” progressive “, as they say today, the crowd.”
Reuters/Ipsos polls found that at the end of July and mid -August, the lowest of its Presidency, Trump was 40%.
(Tagstotranslate) US Open
