US Open Night Sessions set to remain unlike different tennis balls despite criticism from top players

US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster has stated that night-time matches at the mega-event will continue despite facing severe backlash.

Allaster, who previously worked as a WTA CEO, was quoted in a report where she stated that the organisation will continue to evaluate the night-time matches but they are set to continue this year despite criticism.

“Without question, late-night matches were heavily discussed and reviewed after the 2022 US Open,” she said. “I think one of the challenges that we just have as a reality of tennis, we are not defined by a start and an end time.

Read also

"People, they think we are rabbits, we wake up and we're super happy": Monfils opens up on constant rehab after Cincinnati injury scare

“So that unpredictability of a match, sometimes we can have a short match, or we can have that long five-hour match. So at the moment, we’re staying the course with two night matches. We’ll continue to evaluate it.”

The mega-event, like many others, faced severe criticism from different quarters, including the players about the start of evening matches.

One of the most vocal voices against such a move was the 23-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic who stated some time back that late-night matches impact athletes performances, something that has been overlooked by the authorities.

Read also

Retirement for Rybakina at Cincinnati Open, Paolini moves into Quarter-Finals as shoulder injury likely cause

“Throughout my career, I have also experienced very late match endings,” he said. “It doesn’t usually happen regularly, but from time to time. And now many tournaments are introducing night sessions that they didn’t have before.

“Tournaments seek to make more profit by selling tickets for the day and night sessions and I think before it was played in full session. Now, when the day session ends, they empty the stadium so that the people who will be in the night session can enter.

“It seems good for the players, maybe it’s not ideal, but you also have to find the balance to satisfy the fans. Tournaments are just looking for more profit and income. The night sessions are more entertaining, the people cheer more and the US Open night sessions are the most famous in tennis.

“But I understand that if you have finals so late on a consistent basis it’s not good because you have to wait all day to play. If you get up early, you have to kill time before playing. It’s a challenge for the players but I think one of the reasons we finished so late is because of the break between the day session and the night session for the reasons I said.”

US Open Tennis

@usopen

·Follow

Quarterfinals lineup 🙌

482

Reply

Copy link

Read 16 replies