Carlos Alcaraz Voices Frustration Over 3:30 a.m. US Open Finish

During a press conference in London on Thursday, Carlos Alcaraz expressed his dissatisfaction with the timing of his recent US Open quarterfinal match against Ben Shelton. The match extended until 3:33 a.m., setting a new record for the latest finish in US Open history, breaking the previous mark of 2:50 a.m. set by Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in 2022.

Match Details and Impact on Players

The marathon five-set encounter kept fans captivated but left Alcaraz visibly frustrated about the late finish. He pointed out the difficulties athletes face when matches end so late.

• Match end time: 3:33 a.m.
• Previous record: 2:50 a.m. (Alcaraz vs. Sinner, 2022)
• Time leaving courts: 4:30 a.m.
• Estimated bedtime: 6:30 to 7:00 a.m.

Alcaraz explained that finishing at such an hour means players only get to bed very late, making recovery difficult before their next match. He noted this puts them at a disadvantage compared to opponents who may have had an earlier finish.

"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," Alcaraz said, as reported by Front Office Sports.

Scheduling Challenges and Audience Impact

The late start for the quarterfinal was due to earlier matches running longer than expected, pushing the first night session to begin around 8:20 p.m., more than an hour behind schedule.

Alcaraz lamented the effect this had on the audience turnout and TV viewership.

"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," he said.

Despite the late hour, ESPN averaged 1.3 million viewers for the match.

USTA Response to Scheduling Concerns

USTA director Craig Tiley addressed the criticism about late finishes earlier this month during an interview with Sky Sports.

"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," Tiley said.