Midnight matches and money disputes - why is tennis schedule such a headache?

Late-night matches and financial disputes have created headaches for the tennis schedule. Venus Williams, a tennis player, was awarded a wildcard for the US Open, where she was set to play against Sofia Kenin in a primetime match on Arthur Ashe. However, the match did not take place at 7 PM as planned, but rather just after midnight on Monday.

The players felt that the late scheduling was not ideal and affected their conditioning. Williams, aged 46, lost her 15th singles match in a row and is set to play doubles with her sister Serena. The scheduling issues in tennis are mainly due to financial reasons. The Grand Slam tournaments, except Wimbledon, operate a split schedule with day and night sessions.

Night-session matches are more expensive, attract higher-profile players, and increase TV rights revenue. Wimbledon, on the other hand, has a clear rule of beginning at 11 AM and finishing at 11 PM, even if the match is not completed. However, this rule causes frustration for players and spectators. Late-night matches are also challenging for players in terms of performance and conditioning, as it disrupts their warm-up routines, energy management, eating schedule, body temperature, and hormones.

Players have been requesting a greater share of the revenue generated by the events, citing issues such as late-night start times, lack of recovery time, increased media duties, and pension contributions.