Carlos Alcaraz Urges an End to Matches Ending in the Early Hours

Carlos Alcaraz has voiced his frustration with tennis tournaments scheduling matches that extend deep into the night. His recent US Open quarterfinal against Ben Shelton wrapped up at 3:33 a.m., setting a new record for the latest finish in the event’s history.

Alcaraz told reporters in London, ahead of the Laver Cup, that these late finishes have become excessive. "They need to change this. I'm not saying matches should never go past midnight, but finishing at 12 a.m. is already too late," he said.

Late Finishes Are Becoming More Frequent

The trend of matches running into the early morning hours has intensified across Grand Slams recently. Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner previously held the US Open's latest finish record with a 2:50 a.m. end in 2022. At the French Open in 2024, Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti pushed the limits further, concluding 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., marking the latest-ever start time for the tournament.

The Toll on Players

Alcaraz described the physical and mental strain caused by such late finishes. "Finishing at 3:30 means leaving the courts around 4:30, then getting back to the hotel. You don’t get to bed until about 6:30 or 7 a.m. The next day, your opponent who finished earlier has an edge when it comes to recovery," he explained.

Scheduling Challenges at the US Open

The US Open schedules one men's and one women's night session match nightly, aiming to start just after 7 p.m. But during the recent quarterfinals, two daytime matches extended into final-set tiebreaks, delaying the night session start to around 8:20 p.m. This delay triggered a domino effect culminating in the marathon match between Alcaraz and Shelton.

The USTA has not responded to inquiries about the scheduling. Earlier in the tournament, USTA director Craig Tiley defended the current setup, stating, "I hear complaints about late finishes, but no one offers solutions."

Other Grand Slam Experiences

Late-night matches are not unique to the US Open. The Australian Open, which also features two night-session matches, recorded the latest Grand Slam finish ever in 2008 when a match ended at 4:34 a.m. between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis.

Roland-Garros introduced a night session in 2021, starting at 8:15 p.m., with only one match scheduled. Yet, the French Open faces criticism for mostly scheduling men’s matches at night.

Among the four majors, only Wimbledon avoids these extreme late finishes, due to an 11 p.m. curfew enforced by local ordinance.

Missing the Audience

Alcaraz lamented how late match times limit audience attendance. "It's unfortunate that such matches don't reach more fans because they have work or need sleep. If the match had started at 7 or 8 p.m., finishing by 11, the stadium would have been packed," he said. "Many missed out because of the schedule."