Jessica Pegula has suggested reforms for men’s tennis at Grand Slams but believes that the issue of late-night matches remains unresolved. Organizers of the US Open faced significant backlash after several matches, including Ben Shelton's five-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz, extended until early morning, with the latter concluding at 3:33 AM after nearly five hours of play, leaving Arthur Ashe Stadium less than half full.
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Craig Tiley, CEO of the United States Tennis Association, stated that he intends to maintain two matches—one for men and one for women—during the night session at Flushing Meadows next year. He acknowledged criticism regarding match durations but noted that most feedback does not come with actionable solutions. Tiley remarked, “I hear from a lot of people that it finishes too late...you can’t control the length of the match.” He emphasized a desire to provide fans with significant entertainment, regardless of match lengths.
In response to the scheduling issues, Pegula proposed a restructuring of the tournament format to alleviate congestion during the initial week but conceded that her ideas would not resolve the problem experienced during the Shelton-Alcaraz match. On The Player’s Box Podcast, she expressed, “I don’t know what the answer is...they should just play five sets from maybe the quarters on.” However, she acknowledged that this wouldn't have addressed the late finish that particular day.
Pegula, along with former Australian Open champion Madison Keys, expressed disapproval of proposals to eliminate advantages at the end of a game or to disregard let cords on serves—changes that have received some support from players like Andy Murray. Pegula stated, “No ad, I hate no ad...Why do you want to win a point like that [if it trickles over the net]?” Keys echoed this sentiment, arguing against changing let rules, stating it wouldn't save significant time.
The US Open’s night sessions currently begin at 7 PM, though some suggest starting them at 6 PM. Organizers prefer the later start to allow more New York workers time to arrive, complicating the debate surrounding match scheduling.