Alcaraz calls for Grand Slam matches to end by 23:00

Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, in London, United Kingdom, called on Grand Slam tournament organizers to revise match schedules so that the playing day ends no later than 23:00 local time. He made the proposal after his US Open title defense ended with a match that finished at 3:33 a.m.

As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, Alcaraz was defeated by American Ben Shelton in the US Open quarterfinals. It was the latest-finishing match in the history of the season’s final Grand Slam tournament.

Late matches at the US Open

According to the publication, during the first week of the US Open, three more matches ended after 2 a.m., while two continued well past midnight. The tournament also featured a match involving Venus Williams that began at 00:13.

Alcaraz said that such a schedule is excessive. In his view, if the final match were held earlier, the stands could be full. The tennis player proposed introducing a maximum match end time of 23:00 or setting another acceptable limit.

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Practice at other tournaments

The United States Tennis Association, which organizes the US Open, did not provide Reuters with an immediate comment outside business hours. At the same time, the organization had previously said it would consider options for changing the schedule in the future.

Other Grand Slam tournaments already have restrictions on night matches. Wimbledon stops play in accordance with a local 23:00 time restriction, while the French Open holds only one match in its evening session.

Issue of players’ rest

Andre Agassi, captain of the World team at the Laver Cup, also stressed the need for guaranteed rest for tennis players at the end of the season. The eight-time Grand Slam tournament winner said tennis would benefit from an off-season period that would provide more certainty for both players and fans.

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