Carlos Alcaraz, the Spanish tennis player, has urged Grand Slam tournament organizers to ensure that matches conclude by 23:00 local time. His comments came after his title defense at the US Open ended with a match against American Ben Shelton that finished at 3:33 a.m., marking it as the latest-finishing match in the history of the tournament.
Read More
During the US Open's first week, several matches extended beyond 2 a.m., with one involving Venus Williams starting at 00:13. Alcaraz expressed that the current scheduling is excessive and suggested that earlier match times could lead to fuller stands. He proposed implementing a maximum match end time of 23:00 or establishing another reasonable limit.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA), the organizer of the US Open, did not respond immediately to Reuters' request for comment, but indicated previously that it might consider scheduling changes in the future. In contrast, other Grand Slam tournaments like Wimbledon enforce limits on night matches, ceasing play by 23:00, while the French Open typically features only one match during its evening session.
Additionally, Andre Agassi, captain of the World team at the Laver Cup, highlighted the necessity of ensuring adequate rest for players at the end of the season, advocating for an off-season period that would provide greater certainty for both players and fans.