“Not Normal” — Martina Navratilova Demands Change After Carlos Alcaraz-Ben Shelton Blunder at US Open

Late-night finishes at the US Open might have had charm in the past, but with grueling schedules and increasingly physical rallies, they are no longer sustainable. With the quarterfinal match between Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton all set to finish after midnight, former World No.1 Martina Navratilova had her say in the matter, urging the US Open to find a solution.

“Something has got to give… this is not ok and it is not normal … no other sport might start at 11 AM or 11 PM,” said Navratilova on X. “In the same event…”

Navratilova’s concerns are justified, as Day 10 of the US Open began at 11:30 a.m. local time on Arthur Ashe, with Aryna Sabalenka and Linda Noskova taking more than two hours to finish their match. However, what threw the entire schedule out of order was the four-hour thirty-eight-minute contest between Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen, which finished after 7 pm, which was the official start time for the night session.

The opening match of the night session between Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro took more than two hours to finish, which meant that the clock had already pushed past 11 p.m. when Alcaraz and Shelton took the court. Having two night-session matches with a 7 pm start time is always a risky approach, as the second match can run deep into the night, which is not the healthiest option for players.

This has not been the first instance at this US Open, as Day 1 itself saw a former champion, Venus Williams, finish her first-round match against Sofia Kenin after 2 a.m., having taken the court after Novak Djokovic had played a four-and-a-half-hour first-round match. Alexander Zverev himself had two back-to-back finishes after 1 a.m. in his first two rounds. Shelton, too, had a late finish during his third-round match against Denis Shapovalov.

Matches on Arthur Ashe are prestigious assignments and are usually given to the top-ranked players. Given the stadium’s seating capacity, organizers are hesitant to move those matches to other courts, even if the clock is running late. However, with criticism coming from all sides, the US Open may opt for a different approach to night-session matches.

Venus Williams and Tennis Insiders Have Criticised the US Open Scheduling

While the TV graphics on the US Open coverage show multiple late-night finishes as a record being broken (the 2026 tournament set a record with three post-2 a.m. finishes within the first six days), players’ sentiments have not been the same. Finishing her match after 2 a.m., Venus Williams was not overly pleased with the tournament’s decision to schedule her match so late at night.

“It was extremely late. I’ve never played a match that late before. It’s not ideal. I would have preferred something else. I think it wasn’t great for either of us. I definitely think there’s room for improvement there,” said Venus Williams after being part of a record for the latest start in US Open history.

Tennis insider Jose Morgado had also called out the scheduling in the very first few days. With Craig Tiley taking over the USTA this season, online chatter highlighted the former Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open tournament director’s tenure, which saw some of the latest finishes in recent years, with Andy Murray’s second-round match against Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2023 Australian Open finishing at 4:05 a.m.

The Australian Open’s move to a 15-day schedule also did not eliminate late finishes, as in 2024, Daniil Medvedev’s second-round match against Emil Ruusuvuori ended at 3:39 a.m.

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