{
  "id": 6728288,
  "title": "Five-set tennis is under attack. Killing it would be a colossal unforced error | Andrew Lawrence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/five-set-tennis-is-under-attack-killing-it-would-be-a-colossal",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-11T08:00:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Guardian US",
    "slug": "the-guardian-us",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/sep/11/us-open-five-set-tennis-shelton-alcaraz-late-night-matches"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Five-set matches in tennis have become physically demanding and occasionally absurd, and they may soon be facing extinction. The latest example of this trend was the quarter-final match between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open. The match featured all the elements that make grand slam tennis exciting: high stakes, nail-biting drama, exceptional competition, and a triumphant American hero who pulled through in the end. Unfortunately, the only drawback was the excessive time it took. The first serve didn't occur until 11:05 PM, and Shelton's decisive ace didn't come until 3:33 AM, making it the latest-ending US Open match by 43 minutes. Naturally, the conversation among media and fans shifted from the USTA's scheduling mistakes to debates about whether the five-set format should be discontinued. Rest assured, eliminating this format would be a catastrophic blunder.",
  "summary": "Five-set matches are physically punishing, occasionally absurd and increasingly under threat. They also produce much of what makes grand slam tennis great Tuesday night’s quarter-final match between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz had everything a US Open spectacle could ask for: huge stakes, knife-edge drama, top-shelf competition and an American hero who comes through in the end. The only fault…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}