U.S. Open officials took measures to keep former President Donald Trump engaged during last year's men's singles final by placing an irrelevant trophy beside him, according to a report by tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg.
During the 2025 men's final, held at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Trump was seated in the Rolex suite. Pictures from the event show the men's singles trophy on a table near him. However, Rothenberg reported on his Substack page, Bounces, that a replacement trophy was brought to the suite to serve as a "shiny object" for Trump. This action reportedly deviated from standard protocols.
Rothenberg suggested that tournament organizers were concerned Trump might become restless without a distraction and potentially seek to present the trophy himself or address the crowd, neither of which ultimately occurred. The trophy that was placed next to him was identified as the men's doubles trophy, which had been awarded the day prior to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos.
The report indicates that the trophy placement was a deliberate effort to manage Trump's presence at the event. It is noted that Trump is not expected to attend this year's men's final.
This incident follows a pattern where Trump has been accused of drawing attention to himself at major sporting events. In July, following the World Cup trophy presentation, he was criticized for lingering on stage.