The US Open in New York, known for its late-night matches, has sparked discussions about fairness as players like Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev find themselves playing into the early hours. Zverev, who has had three matches finish past 1 a.m., likened the experience to playing the Australian Open in New York. His semi-final against Karen Khachanov will be his first daytime match, while Khachanov has not played past midnight. Similarly, Shelton’s quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz ended at 3:34 a.m., while his next opponent, Frances Tiafoe, finished his match much earlier. Experts like Matt Little, Andy Murray’s former coach, emphasize the importance of rest and recovery, noting the impact of late finishes on performance. The situation recalls Murray’s 4 a.m. match at the 2023 Australian Open, which led to calls for scheduling changes to prevent such late finishes.
QUESTION: How might the scheduling of late-night matches at major sports events impact athletes’ performance and well-being?
Bed at 6:45am – US Open semi-finalists fight effects of late-night finishes
