Tennis Stars Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff Speak Out Against Late Matches at Grand Slams
In the wake of Novak Djokovic’s thrilling match against Lorenzo Musetti, which ended at a record-breaking 3 a.m., top tennis players Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff have expressed their disapproval of late matches at Grand Slams.
Swiatek, who won her match against Anastasia Potapova in a swift 40 minutes, emphasized that late finishes are not ideal for either the players or the fans. “It’s not easy to play, and it’s not like we’re going to fall asleep one hour after the match,” Swiatek explained. “Usually, it takes us four hours to even chill, and you need to do recovery, media. It’s not like the work ends when the match point is won.”
Gauff, who has been fortunate enough to avoid late finishes thus far, echoed Swiatek’s sentiments. “It may be not fair for those who have to play late because it does ruin your schedule,” Gauff said. She suggested that Grand Slams could adopt a similar approach to the WTA and ATP Tours, which have implemented measures to limit the number of evening matches and ban contests that begin after 11 p.m.
While moving courts or rescheduling matches is a complicated issue, especially when considering ticket sales and fan expectations, Gauff believes it is essential for the health and safety of the players. “Obviously, you can’t control when they finish,” Gauff acknowledged, “but I think for the health and safety of the players, it would be in the sport’s best interest to try to avoid those matches finishing—or starting after a certain time.”
The scheduling of late matches has long been a topic of discussion in the tennis world, particularly at the Australian Open, French Open, and U.S. Open, where separate tickets are sold for day and evening sessions. Wimbledon, on the other hand, has a curfew that requires matches to conclude by 11 p.m. local time. As the tennis world continues to navigate this issue, it is clear that the voices of top players like Swiatek and Gauff will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the sport.
