Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in four sets on Sunday to win the US Open as loud boos \u2014 mixed with a smattering of cheers \u2014 greeted President Donald Trump at the final in New York.
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\u200eThe 22-year-old Alcaraz won 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 to capture his second US Open crown and sixth Grand Slam title, avenging his lone defeat in a major final by Sinner at Wimbledon in July.
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\u200eAlcaraz will reclaim the world number one ranking from Sinner, returning to top spot for the first time since September 2023 after ending the Italian\u2019s 27-match winning run at hard-court Grand Slams.
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\u200e\u201dI tried my best today. I couldn\u2019t do more,\u201d said Sinner, who was also defeated by Alcaraz in an epic French Open final in June.
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\u200eSinner\u2019s defeat extends the longest drought without a successful men\u2019s title defence of any Grand Slam in the Open era.
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\u200eNo man has retained the US Open crown since Roger Federer won five in a row from 2004 to 2008.
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\u200eAnticipation for the third straight Grand Slam final between the sport\u2019s top two players assumed an even greater dimension with the presence of Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200eIt was the latest in a series of visits to major sporting events for the US leader after his trip to the NFL\u2019s Super Bowl in February and the FIFA Club World Cup final in July.
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\u200eHe appeared before the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner, waving to the crowd, which greeted him with a mix of cheers and boos. He was given a frostier reception later in the match though when shown again on the stadium\u2019s big screens.
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\u200eA constellation of showbiz and sports icons turned out as well, with rock star Bruce Springsteen, fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger, actor Michael Douglas and basketball superstar Stephen Curry all\u00a0on hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u200eThe start of the final was pushed back 30 minutes to allow fans additional time to enter Arthur Ashe Stadium as a result of tighter security measures in effect due to Trump\u2019s attendance.
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\u200eEven then the 23,000-capacity venue was no more than three-quarters full when Alcaraz broke Sinner in the opening game of the match.
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\u200eAs he did in the Wimbledon final, Alcaraz pinned Sinner on the back front early and broke a second time for a 5-2 lead before serving out to love.
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\u200eWith hundreds of spectators still waiting to get in at the start of the second set, Alcaraz sought to hammer home his advantage.
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\u200eHe created a break point but Sinner hung on and stalled Alcaraz\u2019s momentum, belatedly ramping up his game and surging 3-1 ahead as the Spaniard suffered a brief dip on serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n