Carlos Alcaraz Criticizes 3:30 a.m. Finish at US Open Quarterfinal
During a press event in London on Thursday, Carlos Alcaraz expressed his displeasure about the timing of his recent quarterfinal match at the US Open. The encounter against Ben Shelton ended at 3:33 a.m., setting a new record for the latest finish in tournament history.
Alcaraz described the situation as "too much," pointing out the challenges players face when matches end so 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 said, as reported by Front Office Sports. "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."
A Historic and Exhausting Battle
The five-set marathon was thrilling for fans, with Shelton pulling off an upset over the former World No. 1. The match's delayed start, pushed back due to earlier matches running long, meant the night session began around 8:20 p.m., over an hour later than planned.
Alcaraz lamented the impact of the late schedule on attendance and viewership. "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," he remarked. "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." Despite this, ESPN drew an average of 1.3 million viewers during the match.
Responses to Scheduling Concerns
USTA director Craig Tiley addressed the issue earlier this month in a conversation with Sky Sports. He acknowledged complaints about late finishes but challenged critics to offer alternatives. "I hear from a lot of people that it finishes too late and then I say, OK, and your suggestion is? I don’t get anything," he stated. "You can’t control the length of the match."
- Match end time: 3:33 a.m.
- Previous record finish: 2:50 a.m. (Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner, 2022)
- Match duration: Five sets
- Quarterfinal date: September 9, 2026
- Viewership: Average 1.3 million on ESPN
