Martina Navratilova accuses Donald Trump of being "jealous" of Carlos Alcaraz after President caught not clapping for Spaniard's US Open heroics

Martina Navratilova slammed Donald Trump for not clapping for Carlos Alcaraz following the Spaniard's 2025 US Open men's singles final win over Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz produced a stellar display to beat the Italian in four sets and win the US Open for the second time in his career.

On Sunday, August 7, President Trump attended the hardcourt Major in New York for the first time since his 2015 appearance for the women's singles quarterfinal match contested by the legendary Williams sisters. There was considerable talk surrounding the US President in the buildup to this year's men's singles final, particularly as broadcasters were urged by USTA leadership to not show the crowd's reactions to the 79-year-old's presence.

Following Carlos Alcaraz's 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory against Jannik Sinner in this year's men's singles final at Flushing Meadows, cameras caught Donald Trump with a straight face. It was in stark contrast to the overall mood at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, as the crowd roared in appreciation for Alcaraz, with the Spaniard himself rushing to his box to celebrate his latest success with his family and team.

A video of the moment surfaced on X (formerly Twitter). Reacting to it, former WTA singles and doubles No. 1 and 18-time singles Major champion Martina Navratilova claimed that Donald Trump was "jealous" of Carlos Alcaraz.

"Never saw trump clap. Not once. He is so jealous!!!," Navratilova wrote.

She also touched on the electric environment at Arthur Ashe Stadium when Bruce Springsteen's iconic 1984 hit, "Born in the U.S.A." was played.

"And when the whole place erupted clapping for Bruce Springsteen while playing Born in the USA it was magical!!!," she added.

It's worth noting that both Navratilova and Springsteen are vocal critics of the Trump administration. Interestingly, in the buildup to the final, Alcaraz had expressed positivity about Trump's attendance.

"It's great for tennis to have President Donald Trump at the final" - Carlos Alcaraz

Carlos Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open (Source: Getty)

Following his straight-set win over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the 2025 US Open, Carlos Alcaraz was asked to share his thoughts on playing in front of Donald Trump in the men's singles final. The Spaniard said at the time that he would do his best to not think of the US President's presence as doing so could make him nervous.

However, Alcaraz acknowledged that Trump's visit would draw more attention to tennis. The Spaniard told reporters at a press conference:

"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. I will try not to think about it. I don't want myself to be nervous because of it. It’s great for tennis to have the president into the final."

Carlos Alcaraz's title triumph in New York has also resulted in the Spaniard becoming World No. 1 once more, with Jannik Sinner now in second place.

About the author

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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Edited by Sudipto Pati