Overview
- Ben Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in U.S. Open history after roughly four hours and 28 minutes.
- Tournament officials acknowledged the problem and said they will review scheduling choices following a day when multiple matches ran well past midnight.
- Players and coaches warned late finishes disrupt sleep, recovery and preparation for next matches, while some former champions urged concrete limits on night play.
- Proposed fixes include an 11 p.m. curfew like Wimbledon, earlier night-session start times, shifting matches to other courts, or using a deciding-set 10-point tiebreak to shorten matches.
- Any change faces commercial and cultural trade-offs because the day/night split boosts ticket and prime-time TV revenue and many stakeholders want to preserve five-set Grand Slam tradition.