Carlos Alcaraz Calls for End to Late-Night Finishes

Tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has urged tournament organizers to cease the trend of late-night matches. In a recent quarterfinal at the US Open, Alcaraz was defeated by Ben Shelton in a match that concluded at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in tournament history. Alcaraz expressed his concern during a press conference in London, stating that the late-night schedule negatively impacts athletes' recovery and performance for subsequent matches.

He argued that finishing at 12:00 a.m. is already too late and suggested that even a 12:00 a.m. conclusion would be excessive. Alcaraz highlighted the recent spike in late finishes at Grand Slam tournaments, citing examples from the 2022 US Open and 2024 French Open. He also noted that Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin set a new record for the earliest night start time at the US Open this year.

Alcaraz believes that late-night matches disadvantage players who have to leave the court early and return to their hotels, resulting in a potential advantage for their opponents. He criticized the scheduling, emphasizing that for an athlete finishing at 3:30 a.m., they often do not sleep until 6:30 or 7 a.m., giving their opponents an edge.

Alcaraz expressed disappointment that the late-night match failed to attract a large audience due to the timing, and suggested that starting the match later would have allowed more fans to attend. The USTA did not respond to requests for comment on the issue.