Overview
- The dispute intensified after Venus Williams’s first-round match against Sofia Kenin began at 12:13 a.m. Monday, the latest start in US Open history, and finished after 2 a.m., leaving many fans gone and players fatigued.
- Top players including Jessica Pegula, Aryna Sabalenka and Daria Kasatkina publicly criticised the pattern this week, saying routine post-midnight finishes disrupt sleep, treatment, post-match media duties and next-day preparation.
- Tournament organisers, represented by Stacey Allaster, defended the two-match night-session format and said earlier starts would challenge New York fans and ticket fairness while noting that matches have no fixed end time.
- Critics point to commercial mechanics behind the format: two-match night sessions allow separate day and night ticketing and protect prime-time TV slots under long-term broadcast deals, which players say creates a financial incentive to keep late scheduling.
- The debate builds on a long history of marathon Grand Slam matches that finish very late—such as the Alcaraz–Sinner 2022 match that ended near 3 a.m.—and there have been calls for concrete changes like starting curfews though no rule change has been announced.