The Midnight Marathon: When Late Night Tennis Frenzy Becomes a Schedule Slog The recent US Open quarterfinal between Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz finished at 3:33am local time on Wednesday, sparking debate about the wisdom of scheduling late night matches in Grand Slam tournaments.
While fans relish the electric atmosphere that comes with watching tennis under city lights, players and coaches struggle to cope with the consequences of a schedule that pushes human endurance to its limits.
The US Open's penchant for running matches past midnight is not new – it has become an annual tradition, much like post match interviews where players sheepishly apologize for the late finish.