USTA Issues Quiet Please Policy for President Trump’s US Open Visit

By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, September 6, 2025
Photo credit: Al Bello/Getty

NEW YORK—President Donald Trump’s visit to the US Open men’s final will be a muted affair.

Journalist Ben Rothenberg reports in Bounces that the USTA has issued a “Quiet Please” policy for President Trump’s visit requesting that broadcasters mute any protests or vocal reaction to the President in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It will be intriguing to see how that policy performs as New Yorkers are some of the most expressive tennis fans in the world, particularly when fueled by Heineken and Honey Deuces.

The US Open men’s final showdown between world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Eastern time, two hours earlier than the traditional 4 p.m. start in recent years.

It will be Trump’s first US Open appearance since 2016 when he attended a Williams sisters match and was greeted by Hall of Famer John McEnroe.

Here’s the key text from the USTA email obtained by Bounces quoted by Ben Rothenberg:

“With respect to Broadcast Coverage, the President will be shown on the World Feed and the Ashe Court Feed during the opening anthem ceremony. We ask all broadcasters to refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance in any capacity, including ENG [Electronic News Gathering] coverage.

The BBC confirmed Bounces report.

President Trump, who will be a guest in the Rolex Suite, is expected to be shown on the big screen during the National Anthem, in an effort to minimize vocal protest.

In case you missed it, boisterous US Open fans did not hold back reacting to then Citizen Trump’s last US Open visit. See and hear Arthur Ashe Stadium fans react at about 5:36 mark of the video below:

Queens native Donald Trump has had a long relationship with tennis. He has played the sport himself, hit with Serena Williams when running for his first Presidential term and once tried to produce a Battle of the Sexes match between Serena Williams and John McEnroe, according to Hall of Famer McEnroe.

Embed from Getty Images

Back in the early 1990s, Trump attended several matches of the Jimmy Connors-Ray Benton-owned senior tour at both Westchester Country Club and Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. Trump watched Connors, McEnroe and Bjorn Borg compete in those senior tour matches. President Trump has cited Rafa Nadal as one of his all-time favorite players because of the Spaniard’s famed fighting spirit.

US Open Final Television Coverage
All Times are Eastern

ABC: US Open Men’s Final Preview Show, 1-2 p.m. 

ABC: US Open Men’s Final, 2-5:30 p.m. 

ESPN Deportes: US Open Men’s Final Preview Show, 1:30-2 p.m.

ESPN Deportes: US Open Men’s Final, 2-6 p.m.

ESPN2: US Open Men’s Final Replay Presentation, 8-11 p.m.

Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He is a graduate of New York University and has covered pro tennis for more than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and worked as a writer/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.

2 comments

comments user
Buzzy

Quiet please policy for this wannabe dictator? Don’t be ridiculous. I will be booing in my living room. Who needs the disruption that this evil, hateful, sociopath will bring. All he has to do is get the Epstein file into the hands of the public. Why hasn’t he done this yet? Maybe he has a lot of dirt on his hands. Protecting others in file? Since when has he done for others? I hope the booing pours out of the fans in attendance. He deserves every boo, shout, scream of derision.

comments user
Anti_stupidity

IDIOTIC…freedom of the press can broadcast whatever they heck they want

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