The stage was already set for high drama at Sunday’s US Open men’s final, where Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz. But the tennis may not be the only headline.

With former President Donald Trump confirmed to attend the match in New York as a guest of Rolex, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) privately asked broadcasters not to show any crowd reactions — including boos, protests, or disruptions tied to his presence.

According to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg, the USTA sent an email to broadcast partners urging them to “refrain from showcasing any disruptions or reactions in response to the President’s attendance.”

But ESPN, which holds broadcast rights, is pushing back. A network source told Front Office Sports and later confirmed to The Daily Beast that it intends to cover the final “how it normally would — will acknowledge President Trump is there but focus on the match.”

In practice, that could mean showing Trump in his suite like any other celebrity but not avoiding shots of the crowd — even if the reaction is loud and negative.

Why Organizers Are Nervous

Trump has long been a polarizing figure in New York City, his home turf but also one of his most hostile political battlegrounds. In 2015, he was booed at the US Open, a moment tournament officials are clearly eager not to repeat on international television.

Given Trump’s historically low approval ratings in New York and the charged political climate heading into 2026, the fear of another embarrassing viral moment looms large.

ESPN’s Precarious Position

ESPN’s decision to resist the USTA request comes with context. In January, the network sparked controversy when it aired a nearly two-minute pre-taped Trump message during halftime of the College Football National Championship. Trump used the segment to opine on wars and “making America great again,” prompting backlash from viewers who saw it as a political platform.

ESPN defended the move by pointing out that presidents often deliver taped messages at major sporting events, citing President Biden’s remarks before the Sugar Bowl after a terror attack in New Orleans. Still, the timing — paired with Disney’s then-recent $15 million legal settlement with Trump over comments by ABC’s George Stephanopoulos — raised eyebrows.

Now, ESPN faces a different test: whether to sanitize live coverage for Trump’s benefit or let events unfold unfiltered.

The Broadcast Dilemma

What will happen if boos rain down during player introductions? Or if protest banners appear courtside? ESPN insists it won’t censor the final. But “normal coverage” would, under standard practice, include those shots.

The USTA, however, is explicitly asking broadcasters not to show them. The result is a direct clash between editorial independence and an event organizer’s political sensitivity.

“Sunday’s broadcast will show whether ESPN sticks to its ‘normal coverage’ promise or bends to the tournament organizer’s preferences,” Awful Announcing’s Sam Neumann wrote.

Bigger Than Tennis

The dispute highlights how sports broadcasters are increasingly pulled into America’s political wars. From anthem protests in the NFL to Olympic boycotts, the pressure to sanitize or amplify political moments is growing.

For ESPN, the choice at the US Open is especially fraught: protect the optics of an unpopular former president at the request of tournament organizers, or risk angering them by airing the reality of how New York crowds respond.

Trump’s attendance — confirmed as a guest of Rolex — ensures the cameras will find him at least once. What remains to be seen is whether ESPN will turn the lens back toward the crowd.

The men’s final begins at 2 p.m. ET, simulcast on ABC and ESPN. And while the storylines should belong to Sinner and Alcaraz, much of the world will be watching the stands.

Will Trump be booed again — and will ESPN let us hear it?