‘It is too much’: Carlos Alcaraz says end late-night matches at Grand Slams
Wimbledon imposes an 11 PM curfew, but the US Open, French Open and Australian Open have no fixed cut-off, allowing marquee matches to stretch well past midnight.
Updated : Sep 24, 2026 18:44 IST , CHENNAI - 3 MINS READ
Carlos Alcaraz said finishing so late ruins recovery and gives the next opponent an unfair edge, adding that even a midnight end is “too late”. | Photo Credit: AP
Carlos Alcaraz said finishing so late ruins recovery and gives the next opponent an unfair edge, adding that even a midnight end is “too late”. | Photo Credit: AP
Carlos Alcaraz called on Grand Slam organisers to stop matches running into the early hours after his US Open title defence ended in a 3:33 AM local-time thriller against Ben Shelton.
The quarterfinal, which began on Tuesday night, lasted four hours and 28 minutes and became the latest finish in US Open history.
Wimbledon imposes an 11 PM curfew, but the US Open, French Open and Australian Open have no fixed cut-off, allowing marquee matches to stretch well past midnight. Djokovic’s 2024 Roland Garros win over Lorenzo Musetti finished at 3.07 AM.
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Speaking in London ahead of the Laver Cup, Alcaraz said finishing so late ruins recovery and gives the next opponent an unfair edge, adding that even a midnight end is “too late”.
“For an athlete finishing at 3:30 in the morning, it means we had to leave the courts at 4.30, then back to the hotel,” he told reporters.
“You don’t go to bed until 6:30 or 7 in the morning. To recover for the next match, the person you play has an advantage.”
“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.”
He argued such scheduling also hurts the sport: fans leave early, TV audiences drop and big moments are missed by people who must work the next day.
“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,” the world number three said.
“If that match had started at 7 or 8 PM, at the maximum finishing at 11, the stadium would have been packed. A lot had to miss it because of the schedule.”
The clock reads 3:21 AM as Carlos Alcaraz plays in the fifth set against Ben Shelton during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open. | Photo Credit: AP
The clock reads 3:21 AM as Carlos Alcaraz plays in the fifth set against Ben Shelton during the quarterfinal round of the U.S. Open. | Photo Credit: AP
One proposed fix is shortening Grand Slam men’s matches from best-of-five to best-of-three, while Djokovic has suggested playing first to four games instead of six to cut length.
Andre Agassi, however defended the five-setters, saying that Slams should remain a test of endurance where luck is less decisive and history isn’t diluted by shorter formats.
“I absolutely believe we should have it (five sets). I believe it’s possible to get lucky and win two out of three. I don’t think you can get lucky and win three out of five.”
“I think you really have to earn it. There should be a delineation between winning the Slams, the biggest tournaments, versus other weeks of the year.”
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Agassi also acknowledged that the late finishes are unfortunate but insisted the “gladiator” nature of five-set tennis is part of what makes major titles meaningful.
“You don’t want it going that late. It’s unfortunate. I have been in that position plenty of times,” he said.
“But the last thing you want to have is an asterisk next to the history of our sport. You don’t want somebody just getting hot for an hour and a half and going through some tough matches.”
“We are doing what we can, but it is still gladiator stuff. I like it,” he concluded.
Published on Sep 24, 2026
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