Latest finish puts US Open scheduling under harsh spotlight again

NEW YORK, Sept 9 : When the dust settled on Ben Shelton's shock win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at 3:33 a.m. on Wednesday in the latest-ever finish at the U.S. Open, organisers faced a question that had been forming for days: how late is too late?

The concern was not sparked by one marathon alone as three matches ended after 2 a.m. during the Grand Slam's opening week, while two more ran well beyond midnight and Venus Williams was involved in the latest-starting clash that began at 12:13 a.m.

"Yeah, it's not ideal. I would have preferred something else definitely," said the 46-year-old Williams after losing to Sofia Kenin in the first round.

"I don't know any other sport where you have to start that late. I definitely think there's room for improvement."

The issue has gained added resonance amid a broader push by top players for increased prize money and reforms on welfare and working conditions, with late finishes emerging as a flashpoint in the debate over life on the tour.

Like the U.S. Open, the Australian Open has faced criticism for notoriously late finishes but the other two Grand Slams have imposed checks, with Wimbledon halting play under an 11 p.m. local curfew and the French Open limiting night sessions to one match.

Yet a solution such as starting evening sessions earlier than 7 p.m. is complicated by the argument that tennis-mad New Yorkers need time to get to Flushing Meadows after work and organisers having to manage day- and night-session crowds.

The tension between spectacle and scheduling was laid bare again on Tuesday after a string of marathon contests kept fans enthralled while pushing play deep into the early hours of Wednesday.

"Tuesday was one of the most extraordinary days of tennis the U.S.