Carlos Alcaraz addresses Donald Trump presence at US Open final with security tightened for Jannik Sinner showdown

CARLOS Alcaraz hopes he does not experience nerves when he plays in front of Donald Trump.

The President is scheduled to attend the US Open final between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in New York on Sunday.

This will be his first visit to the Grand Slam tennis event since 2015.

Trump – who was re-elected in 2024 for a second term in office – was born in the borough of Queens in New York City.

But this would be his first visit to the grounds since the first time he moved his stuff into the Oval Office in 2016.

He had been on several occasions to the last Slam of the year, having been joined by wife Melania on his last visit a decade ago.

The former real estate magnate is due to attend a Yankees baseball game on September 11 and also the Ryder Cup at Bethpage later this month.

He also became the first ever sitting President to attend a Super Bowl in New Orleans earlier this year.

Bill Clinton watched tennis from the Arthur Ashe stadium at the 2000 tournament, a few months before George W. Bush was elected as the next President.

Trump’s decision to attend is causing a security headache for the United States Tennis Association and broadcasters have been telling their staff they may not be allowed to bring in bags on site on Sunday.

The Spaniard, 22, was asked how it would feel to play a tennis match in front of the sitting US President.

The world no.2 – searching for his sixth major success this weekend – said, “It is a privilege for the tournaments having the president from every country just to support the tournament, to support tennis, and to support the match.

“For me, playing in front of him…so, 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 I think, you know, attending the tennis match, it’s great for tennis to have the President into the final.”

Alcaraz has been in Presidential form this past fortnight – he has yet to drop a set in six matches, the first man to do that since Roger Federer in 2015.

This is the third time in three months they have met in a Grand Slam final.

It is the first instance the same two players have contested three major finals in the same calendar year since Australians Roy Emerson and Fred Stolle in 1964.

Sinner, 23, is the fourth player in the Open Era (after Rod Laver, Federer and Novak Djokovic) to be involved in the finals of all four majors in the same season, and the youngest to do so.

If it is anything like their French Open battle, when Alcaraz survived three Championship points and came from two-sets down to win in Paris, then it could be a historic occasion.

The winner will receive a record $5million and become the undisputed world No.1.

Shaven-headed Alcaraz, whose biggest problem has been with the hair clippers, said: “Over the last two years, Jannik has improved a lot physically.

“His matches are really demanding physically, that he’s able to play at his 100% during two, three, four hours.

“I’m going to take things about the last matches that I’ve played against him. I’m going to take note, and I’ll see what I did wrong.”

Sinner, the defending champion, had a stomach issue in his four-sets semi-final win over Felix Auger-Aliassime but insists he is fine.

The Italian said: “Carlos and I have a great relationship off the court, and everything is fine between him and me and our teams.

“Carlos has improved a lot the serve. Maybe before there were more ups and downs. Now he’s very consistent.

“I love these challenges. I love to put myself in these positions. He’s someone who pushed me to the limit, which is great.”