Carlos Alcaraz Urges Tennis Tournaments to Avoid Late-Night Matches

Carlos Alcaraz has voiced strong concerns over tennis matches extending into the early hours, calling on tournament organizers to change scheduling practices. His recent US Open quarterfinal loss to Ben Shelton ended at 3:33 a.m., marking the latest finish in that event's history.

Speaking from London before the Laver Cup, Alcaraz said, "It is too much. They are going to have to do something. I'm not saying 3:30, but even finishing at 12 is too late already."

Rise of Late Finishes in Grand Slams

Matches ending after midnight have become more frequent in major tournaments. Alcaraz himself was involved in a 2:50 a.m. finish against Jannik Sinner at the US Open in 2022. The French Open saw an even later conclusion at 3:06 a.m. in 2024 during a match between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti. This year’s US Open also set a record for the latest start, when Venus Williams faced Sofia Kenin at 12:13 a.m.

Reflecting on his 3:30 a.m. finish with Shelton, Alcaraz explained, "We had to leave the courts at 4:30, then go back to the hotel. You don’t get to bed until 6:30 or 7 in the morning. To recover for the next match, the person you play has an advantage."

Scheduling Challenges at the US Open

The US Open typically schedules one men's and one women's night session starting shortly after 7 p.m. But during the quarterfinals this year, two day matches went into final-set tiebreaks, delaying the evening session's first match until about 8:20 p.m. This delay caused a domino effect, pushing the Alcaraz-Shelton match deep into the night.

The USTA did not respond to requests for comment. Tournament director Craig Tiley defended the current system, stating, "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."

Late Finishes Across Other Grand Slams

Other majors face similar struggles. The Australian Open, with its two-match night sessions, holds the record for the latest Grand Slam finish ever: a 4:34 a.m. end to a 2008 match between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis.

Roland-Garros introduced a single-match night session in 2021, starting at 8:15 p.m. Yet it often schedules men’s matches exclusively during these times, drawing criticism.

Of the four Grand Slams, only Wimbledon avoids such late endings due to an 11 p.m. curfew enforced by local rules.

Impact on Fans and Players

Alcaraz lamented the impact on attendance, saying, "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. 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."