Sabalenka Seizes Late Night Opportunity at U.S. Open

Sabalenka's Late Night Match

NEW YORK — How does a match start at eight minutes after midnight? It starts with a long afternoon of tennis in Arthur Ashe Stadium. After more than two hours, Aryna Sabalenka managed to defeat Elina Svitolina. The match concluded just before 7 p.m., but preparation for the night session took over an hour, delaying the next match schedule.

Another topsy-turvy encounter unfolded until just before midnight when it was finally time for Sabalenka and Ekaterina Alexandrova to begin their duel. In a year where the U.S. Open introduced a Late Finishing Match Policy, many were astonished at the late start time. Robby Sikka, the medical director for the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), voiced his concern, noting that no industry allows such late nights for their professionals.

The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) decided to adhere to a policy intended to prevent players from remaining on court until the early hours. Despite the late hour, after coming through a challenging match with a score of 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, Sabalenka expressed her preference to play in the main stadium, Ashe, but before the men’s matches.

As tournament officials monitored the time carefully to ensure communication was effective, the situation created a highly debated atmosphere regarding player welfare. According to Sikka, such scheduling reflects poorly on women players who had to wait unnecessarily. He criticized this oversight, calling it demeaning to the competitors.

The Implications of Late Matches

• The USTA's late match policy raises significant concerns.
• Player welfare should be prioritized in match scheduling.
• Historic late matches could affect performance and safety.