Carlos Alcaraz Frustrated by 3:30 a.m. US Open Finish: 'Too Much'

Carlos Alcaraz Voices Frustration Over Late US Open Match

Carlos Alcaraz expressed his displeasure after a late-night quarterfinal match at the U.S. Open, addressing reporters in London on Thursday. The match against Ben Shelton stretched until 3:33 a.m., setting a new record for the latest finish in U.S. Open history, breaking the previous mark of 2:50 a.m. from 2022.

Alcaraz described the consequences of such a late finish, saying, "For an athlete finishing at 3:30 in the morning, it means we had to leave the courts at 4:30, then back to the hotel. You don't go to bed until 6:30 or 7 in the morning. To recover for the next match, the person you play has an advantage."

A Marathon Match with Scheduling Challenges

The intense five-set encounter captivated tennis fans as Shelton defeated the former World No. 1. Earlier delays that day pushed the start time back significantly; the first night session began around 8:20 p.m., more than an hour later than planned.

Alcaraz lamented the impact on fans, stating, "It is a shame a match like this didn't reach a lot of people because they have to go to bed, they have to work in the morning. If that match had started at 7 or 8 p.m., at the maximum finishing at 11, the stadium would have been packed. A lot had to miss it because of the schedule." Despite the late start, ESPN averaged 1.3 million viewers during the quarterfinal.

Reactions to Scheduling and Match Length

USTA director Craig Tiley responded to concerns about late finishes in an interview with Sky Sports. He said, "I hear from a lot of people that it finishes too late and then I say, OK, and your suggestion is? I don’t get anything. You can’t control the length of the match."

• Match End Time: 3:33 a.m.
• Previous Record: 2:50 a.m. (Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner, 2022)
• Quarterfinal Match: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Ben Shelton
• Start Time Delay: Match started around 8:20 p.m., over an hour late
• ESPN Viewership: Average 1.3 million during the match