ALCARAZ CALLS FOR US OPEN CUT-OFF TIME AFTER 3:33AM FINISH

Carlos Alcaraz has called on the US Open to introduce a cut-off time for matches, after his quarter-final against Ben Shelton finished at 3:33am, the latest finish in the tournament's history. Speaking to the BBC, he said matches should end by around 11pm, arguing that an earlier finish would allow more fans to watch until the end. Venus Williams' first-round match at the tournament also finished late, at around 2am. Alcaraz's finish beat the previous record, set in 2022 when he played Jannik Sinner until 2:50am.

Shelton won the match 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6, ending Alcaraz's run at the tournament, his first since April. Speaking to Front Office Sports, Alcaraz said finishing at 3:30am meant leaving the courts at 4:30am and not reaching bed until between 6:30am and 7am. He said this put players at a disadvantage in recovering before their next match, compared with opponents who finished earlier. He said the scheduling also affects fans, who must choose between staying until the end or leaving early.

Alcaraz has since turned to the Laver Cup, which runs from 25 to 27 September at the O2 Arena in London, where he is due to open his campaign in doubles on the first day. He plays for Team Europe alongside Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli, captained by Yannick Noah, with Tim Henman as vice-captain. Team World, captained by Andre Agassi with Pat Rafter as vice-captain, includes Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Bublik, Brandon Nakashima, Learner Tien and Francisco Cerundolo. The tournament opens with Ruud facing Cerundolo. Agassi and Alcaraz exchanged banter over noise levels during a practice session beforehand, according to reports.