The city that never sleeps has gone a little overboard this year at the US Open, where a growing number of matches are ending after 2 a.m. in front of emptying stadiums.
Alexander Zverev was in no mood to talk after his first-round match finished in the early morning hours. With empty seats all around, he answered two questions from reporters on court and walked off. "I think everybody's tired," he said. "Everybody wants to go to sleep."
Finishes past 2 a.m.
Zverev was not alone. Venus Williams' first-round match against Sofia Kenin on Arthur Ashe Stadium also stretched beyond 2 a.m. local time. Television shots showed rows of empty seats behind Williams as she left the court after what could be her last singles appearance at the tournament.
The late starts are hard on players who must recover for the next round. Matches that end at 2 or 3 a.m. push sleep, meals, treatment and practice deep into the next day.
Players speak out
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who two years ago played what is now the fourth-latest women's match in tournament history, is among the players calling for change.
"When you finish late, the next day shifts a lot," Sabalenka said. "You still need to get your hours of sleep, so you start later. You can really mess up your schedule."
Fans who have to work the next morning face their own trade-off, which is one reason the stands thin out so quickly after midnight.
A push for change
The complaints are finally producing structural responses. Wimbledon and the US Open increased prize money in 2026, and the Grand Slams are creating a players' advisory council that will start after the US Open ends, giving players more say in how the majors are run.
Whether the council will push to end late-night play is unclear. Night sessions are popular with broadcasters and with New York fans who embrace the drama. But as this year's tournament has shown, the drama comes at a price paid by the people on court.