The USTA should be ashamed of attempt to censor Donald Trump boos

The U.S. Tennis Association should be ashamed of itself — along with any U.S. Open broadcasters who may have complied with the organizers’ absurd request to censor reactions to President Donald Trump’s presence at the men’s final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner on Sunday. To their credit, that did not include ABC and ESPN.

Celebrities, various government officials and other dignitaries often show up to Grand Slam matches, especially finals. Royals are often at Wimbledon, former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama have attended the U.S. Open and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been taunted at the Australian Open. World leaders at tennis majors is nothing new, and neither is booing them.

But the U.S. Open and the USTA behind it didn’t want it advertised during the last Grand Slam of the season because the president apparently deserved kid gloves for his delicate ego and special treatment reserved for no other attendees.

Longtime tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg reported in his newsletter, Bounces, on Saturday that an internal email from the USTA to U.S. Open broadcasters asked that they censor any protests or (presumably negative) reactions to the American president’s presence. Here’s part of the email, via Rothenberg in 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.”

In showing up to watch Alcaraz beat Sinner, Trump became the first sitting president to attend the U.S. Open since Bill Clinton in 2000, as the Associated Press noted. He’s been to the tournament many times in his life, but this was his first time since the 2015 U.S. Open quarterfinal match between Serena and Venus Williams, per Bounces. Then a candidate for president, he was enthusiastically booed.

The New York tournament correctly anticipated the president’s hostile reception amid a few cheers on Sunday. And despite presumably trying to ease the deeplyunpopular president’s fragile feelings, the boos and jeers could clearly be heard on ABC and ESPN’s broadcast.

More via Rothenberg in Bounces, which also reported Trump was a guest of Rolex:

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.”

How cowardly, especially in trying to protect the fragile ego of a wannabe king who’d probably prefer if the international players weren’t allowed in the U.S. (Probably some American players too.)

Unless the request for censorship came from the Trump administration or other government entity, this isn’t a free speech issue. But it’s an issue nonetheless. How dare the U.S. Open try to silence Americans expressing their dissent toward the convicted felon in the White House? Beyond shameful.

But what was the actual goal in attempting to hide boos and jeers in response to Trump’s appearance?

The hope that he’ll return in each of the next three years while in office? That he doesn’t extort money or services from the national governing body, like he has with capitulating law firms, media companies and academia? That he doesn’t sign an executive order — which many seem to forget does not override federal statutes or the Constitution — to eliminate the sport of tennis from the U.S.? Or, is it just to ensure his ego remains vastly overinflated?

Regardless, it’s pathetic. It also didn’t work with ABC and ESPN seemingly not complying with censoring the crowd.

The attempt at censorship may have been successful at other times or for other broadcasters. But it also highlighted the U.S. Open and USTA’s spineless strategy in accurately predicting the inhospitable reception of the latest dignitary to attend a Grand Slam.

This article originally appeared on For The Win: USTA attempt to censor Donald Trump boos at US Open was shameful