Shelton Beats Alcaraz in 3:33am US Open Finish — SkimNews
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- Ben Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6 (10-7) in a US Open quarterfinal that started just after 11pm and ended at 3:33am local time on Wednesday after three long matches pushed the start back.
- Thousands of fans stayed through the night, leaving Arthur Ashe Stadium roughly one-third full at the finish, where Shelton closed it out with a clean ace and acknowledged the crowd with his sister and best friend watching from the stands.
- Martina Navratilova posted on X calling for reform: "Something has got to give - this is not OK and it is not normal - no other sport might start at 11AM or 11PM. In the same event."
- Former US Open champion Andy Roddick defended the late finishes on the Served Podcast, noting every match went to a match tie-break except one and that 25,000 people must be moved in and out of the stadium responsibly.
- Aryna Sabalenka said finishing late shifts the next day "a lot" because sleep, meals, and warm-ups are all impacted, while Venus Williams called her past-midnight start against Sofia Kenin "not ideal" and said "there's room for improvement."
- Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli proposed reducing the night slate to one match from the quarterfinals onward, though coach Ryan Harrison said on Sky Sports Tennis there is no solution to the late-night finishes.
Why it matters: Tennis's biggest stage has now produced multiple 2am-plus finishes this tournament, prompting current players (Sabalenka, Williams) and former champions (Navratilova, Bartoli) to publicly question a pattern the US Open appears unwilling to change — its lighthearted "excuse letter" social post suggests organizers are leaning into the chaos rather than restructuring the schedule around player health and viewer experience.
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