The night sessions at the US Open in New York have ignited a fierce debate among players, tournament officials, and tennis legends over player welfare and scheduling limits. According to reports by the Associated Press, the schedule pushed matches deeper into the early morning hours than ever before during the tournament’s opening week.
Three separate matches concluded after 2:00 a.m. local time during the first week alone, marking an unprecedented milestone for late-night finishes at the New York Grand Slam. Two additional matches finished past 1:00 a.m. local time, prompting the Associated Press to note that «the city that never sleeps, overdoes it this year.»
Venus Williams Sets Unwanted Record in New York
For tournament legend Venus Williams, the late scheduling created an unprecedented challenge during her 32-year professional career. The 46-year-old had to take to the court for her opening-round match at 13 minutes past midnight, establishing the late-start record for a match at the Grand Slam tournament in New York. Williams finished her encounter at 2:01 a.m. local time and expressed her dissatisfaction to reporters: «That is not ideal, I would have wanted it differently.»
The trend extended across both major arenas in Queens. Both the nearly 24,000-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium and the Louis Armstrong Stadium hosted double-header night sessions during the first week, featuring a women’s match followed sequentially by a men’s match starting from the standard 7:00 p.m. local time slot.
Player Welfare and Criticisms From Tennis Legends
Prominent voices across the sport have criticized the scheduling as unsustainable for elite athletes. American tennis icon Martina Navratilova posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the late finishes are «just too late to play tennis… tell me any other sport where this is the case?!?», echoing a sentiment shared by Boris Becker. Navratilova added in subsequent remarks to Sky Sports that tournament organizers «have to rethink the night session. It ends too late.»
German professional Alexander Zverev, who endured multiple matches finishing well past midnight during his run, explained the physical toll of the schedule. Zverev noted that players frequently cannot fall asleep until 5:00 or 6:00 a.m. local time. Germany’s men’s national coach Michael Kohlmann added that the late hours completely disrupt the athletes’ physiological rhythms.
The late finishes also impact the spectator experience inside the sprawling New York venue. As matches stretch past midnight, the packed stands empty out rapidly as fans rush to catch the final subway trains or head to parking lots. Following a second-round victory that ended with a match point converted at 2:15 a.m. local time, Zverev publicly thanked the small handful of fans remaining in the stadium, remarking that they compensated for the spectators who had already departed.
World number three Jessica Pegula acknowledged the fan perspective, telling reporters that she does not watch the late matches on television either. «I sleep then,» Pegula said.
Financial Realities and Scheduling Dilemmas
The persistence of the lucrative night sessions stems directly from the financial model operated by the United States Tennis Association (USTA). By clearing the stadium after the day session and holding a separate evening ticket gate, the tournament generates a second wave of admissions revenue each day. Ticket sales recently accounted for $208 million, representing roughly one-third of the USTA’s total annual revenue.
Tournament organizers have rejected calls to adopt the single-match evening model used at the French Open in Paris. At Roland Garros, evening sessions feature only one match—almost exclusively a men’s contest. Tournament director Amélie Mauresmo has defended that structure by citing spectator demand, though the Parisian model has faced persistent criticism over gender equality after featuring women players in the evening slot only five times since 2021.
Moving the start time earlier is also off the table due to logistical hurdles in the surrounding metropolis. Tournament director Eric Butorac explained to ESPN that pushing the start time earlier than 7:00 p.m. local time is impractical because local commuters travel from Manhattan to Queens during evening rush hour. «In New York, it would be a challenge to start before 19:00,» Butorac said. «From our perspective, this is therefore the right time.»
As the tournament progresses toward its final rounds, the debate over how to balance stadium revenue and the physical well-being of the competitors remains one of the central talking points of the North American hard-court summer.
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