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

Carlos Alcaraz expressed his dissatisfaction about the timing of his recent match during a press conference in London. The quarterfinal clash against Ben Shelton stretched 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. from 2022.

Speaking to reporters, Alcaraz described the late finish as excessive, explaining the difficulties it posed. "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," he said. "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 Consequences

The epic five-set battle ended with Shelton upsetting the former World No. 1. Earlier delays on the same day pushed the quarterfinal start to around 8:20 p.m., more than an hour later than planned.

Alcaraz lamented how the timing affected fan attendance and exposure. "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," he noted. "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 hour, ESPN still managed to draw an average of 1.3 million viewers for the match.

Response from USTA Director

Craig Tiley, director of the USTA, defended the scheduling decisions in a statement to Sky Sports. He acknowledged concerns but pointed out the challenge of controlling match length. "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," Tiley said. "You can’t control the length of the match."

Match Details

• Match: Carlos Alcaraz vs Ben Shelton (US Open Quarterfinal)
• Date: September 9, 2026
• Match duration: Extended into early morning hours
• Record: Latest finish in US Open history at 3:33 a.m.
• Viewership: Averaged 1.3 million on ESPN