Crowd patiently waits in prolonged queues amid enhanced security measures due to Trump's presence at the U.S. Open final tournament

Thousands of tennis enthusiasts at the U.S. Open faced unexpected delays during the final match between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, with many fans claiming they were not informed about the lengthy wait to enter Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Chris Fowler, a broadcaster for ABC, noted during the coverage that it appeared fans were "not adequately told to be prepared for this." The delay was due to enhanced security measures because President Donald Trump was watching the match from a suite inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Fans had to go through security and be checked again at the steps into Ashe, which has nearly 24,000 seats. Some fans were still stuck in a line that snaked all the way to the practice courts near an entrance as play was set to begin. Thousands of fans were still far from the entrance to the arena when play eventually began, with some expressing regret for going to the shops and concession stands around the grounds instead of getting in line for Ashe, had they known how long it would take.

USTA spokesman Brendan McIntyre mentioned that emails were sent to ticket holders on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and a push message was sent to the U.S. Open app at 9 a.m. on Sunday. However, many fans never received these notifications, leaving them unaware of the delay.

Diana Diaz, who traveled from Florida, stated that she and her fiance received no notification of a delay when attending the women's final the previous day. A sign on the video board above the entrance to Ashe announced the match was being pushed back to 2:30 due to "security measures in place."

The Secret Service issued a statement acknowledging that the security measures for the President's visit may have caused delays for attendees. Fans, frustrated by the wait, booed and chanted "Let us in! Let us in!" during the match. To pass the time, some fans enjoyed ice cream while waiting in line, and the match was shown on one of the big screens above the entrance so fans could watch while they waited.

Despite the chaos, the final match between Alcaraz and Sinner was a thrilling spectacle, with Alcaraz ultimately emerging victorious. The incident serves as a reminder for organisers to ensure clear and timely communication with ticket holders during such events to avoid similar issues in the future.