U.S. Open Orders Broadcasters to Censor Reactions to Trump

An email obtained by Bounces includes instructions from the U.S. Open on supporting Trump's planned stagecraft during the National Anthem.

Arthur Ashe Stadium. (Mike Lawrence/USTA)

NEW YORK — Following up on the earlier news first reported by Bounces about Rolex’s invitation, I have further new information to report about the planning around presenting President Donald Trump’s appearance at the U.S. Open.

An internal email sent by the U.S. Tennis Association leadership to U.S. Open broadcasters, obtained by Bounces, requested that broadcasters censor any possible protests or other reactions to President Donald Trump’s presence at Sunday’s U.S. Open men’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

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

“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 USTA’s plan to show Trump during the anthem, one of the noisiest and bombastic portions of Sunday’s events, is already an effective way to insulate Trump from likely booing. But the preemptive instructions outlined by the USTA in this email—asking broadcasters to censor and avoid any possible protest or negative crowd reaction to Trump for television audiences watching around the world—is further complicity in broadcasting Trump’s desired stagecraft for his first appearance at the U.S. Open in a decade.

The email also attached the USTA’s US Open social media policy, as well as “talking points and additional facts regarding the President’s visit.” The only attached “talking point,” however, was just a statement that “President Trump is planning to watch the US Open Men’s Singles Final from a suite as a sponsor guest.”

As previously first reported on Bounces, that unnamed sponsor is Rolex, the Swiss watchmaker which may be looking to curry favor with Trump during his visit to their luxury suite in hopes of lowering the high tariffs he has imposed on imports from Switzerland.

Why Donald Trump is Returning to the U.S. Open

(Rolex PR has still not replied to Bounces’ inquiry about its motivations for inviting Trump to its U.S. Open suite.)

“We appreciate your understanding and cooperation,” the USTA email to broadcast personnel concludes, adding that any further questions can be brought either to the USTA Television’s managing director Patti Fallick or director of broadcasting Dayna Navatta.

If the crowd reacts anything like they did when Trump last appeared at the U.S. Open 10 years ago, he will be boisterously booed.

Though Trump being shown on the large video screens around Ashe would make for the most obvious occasion for booing or other dissent to erupt, U.S. Open attendees are also capable of chanting or booing in protest of Trump at other times of the match, which may be unavoidable for broadcasters to successfully censor if they cause any significant disruption to the match.

If you have any further information to share about Trump’s planned visit to the U.S. Open men’s final—or any other U.S. Open or tennis topics of which you think I should be aware—I can be contacted by email, or direct messages on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky, and Substack (by the button below). Or if you work in tennis, you probably already have my phone number.

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