Carlos Alcaraz Urges Tennis Tournaments to Stop Matches Ending After Midnight

Carlos Alcaraz Speaks Out Against Late-Night Match Endings

Carlos Alcaraz has voiced concerns over the trend of tennis matches finishing in the early hours of the morning. His recent US Open quarterfinal against Ben Shelton concluded at 3:33 a.m., setting a record for the latest finish in tournament history.

Alcaraz told reporters in London that this schedule is excessive. "They are going to have to do something," he said, "I'm not saying 3:30, but even finishing at 12 is too late already." The comment came just before the start of the Laver Cup.

Records Broken by Late Finishes

Late finishes have become more frequent at Grand Slam events. Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner previously held the US Open record with a 2:50 a.m. finish in 2022. At the French Open in 2024, 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 their match at 12:13 a.m., another tournament record.

Impact on Players and Scheduling Challenges

For players finishing so late, recovery becomes difficult. Alcaraz explained, "We had to leave the courts at 4:30, then back to the hotel. You don't go to bed until 6:30 or 7 in the morning. To recover for the next match, the person you play has an advantage."

The US Open's schedule typically includes one men's and one women's night session per evening, starting shortly after 7 p.m. But delays during this year's quarterfinals pushed the night matches later. Two day matches ended with final-set tiebreaks, causing the first night match to start around 8:20 p.m. This led to Alcaraz and Shelton's marathon five-setter stretching into the early morning.

Organizers’ Response and Comparisons to Other Grand Slams

The USTA did not respond to requests for comments. However, USTA director Craig Tiley defended the scheduling during the tournament, saying he hears complaints but receives no solutions: "I hear from a lot of people that it finishes too late, and then I say, Okay, and your suggestion is? I don’t get anything."

Other Grand Slams face similar issues. The Australian Open follows a two-match night session format and holds the record for the latest Grand Slam finish ever, at 4:34 a.m., set during the 2008 match between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis. Roland-Garros introduced a night session in 2021 with just one match starting at 8:15 p.m., but it has been criticized for mainly scheduling men’s matches in that slot.

Of all the Grand Slams, only Wimbledon avoids these ultra-late finishes due to an 11 p.m. curfew enforced by local ordinance.

Alcaraz’s Thoughts on Audience Impact

Alcaraz expressed regret that matches ending so late miss out on larger audiences. "It is a shame a match like this didn’t reach a lot of people because they have to go to bed, they have to work in the morning," he said. "If that match had started at 7 or 8 p.m., at the maximum finishing at 11, the stadium would have been packed. A lot had to miss it because of the schedule."