Carlos Alcaraz Urges Tennis Organizers to Stop Matches Finishing in the Early Morning

Carlos Alcaraz has urged tennis authorities to reconsider scheduling practices that lead to matches ending in the early hours. His US Open quarterfinal against Ben Shelton wrapped up at 3:33 a.m., marking the latest finish in the tournament's history.

Speaking in London just before the Laver Cup, Alcaraz said, "It is too much. They are going to have to do something. I’m not saying 3:30, but finishing at 12 is already too late."

Late Finishes Becoming More Frequent at Grand Slams

There has been a rise in matches stretching into late-night hours at major tournaments. In 2022, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner set a previous US Open record by finishing at 2:50 a.m. Then at the 2024 French Open, Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti ended their match at 3:06 a.m.

This year’s US Open also saw Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin start a match at 12:13 a.m., a new record for the latest beginning time.

The Toll on Players’ Recovery

Alcaraz explained the challenges of such late finishes: "For an athlete finishing at 3:30 in the morning, it means leaving the court at 4:30, then going back to the hotel. You don’t get to bed until 6:30 or 7. That affects recovery, giving an advantage to the next opponent."

The US Open currently schedules one men's and one women's night session each evening, with the first match expected to start soon after 7 p.m. But during the quarterfinals, two day-session matches went to final-set tiebreakers, delaying the start of the first night match to about 8:20 p.m. This created a chain reaction that pushed Alcaraz and Shelton's match deep into the night.

Responses From Officials and Other Tournaments

The USTA did not respond to comment requests. Earlier, USTA director Craig Tiley defended the schedule, saying, "I hear from many that matches finish too late, and then I ask, ‘Okay, and your suggestion is?’ I don’t get anything."

Other Grand Slams face similar issues. The Australian Open, which also holds two night matches per evening, has seen three matches finish later than Alcaraz-Shelton’s, including the 2008 match between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis that ended at 4:34 a.m., the latest in Grand Slam history.

Roland-Garros introduced a night session in 2021 with a single match starting at 8:15 p.m., but has faced criticism for mostly scheduling men’s matches in that slot.

Among the Grand Slams, only Wimbledon avoids late finishes due to an 11 p.m. curfew set by local rules.

Impact on Fans and Atmosphere

Alcaraz lamented the effect on fans, saying, "It’s a shame a match like this didn’t reach many people because they have to go to bed or work in the morning. If the match had started at 7 or 8 p.m. and ended by 11, the stadium would have been full. Many missed out because of the timing."