Some players can’t stand the idea of getting up early for work, just like in any other job. But Coco Gauff isn’t one of them. The 2023 US Open champ is perfectly happy playing at any time of day. In fact, she even admitted she prefers morning matches over what she jokingly called “the graveyard shift,” those late-night marathons that often push past midnight at the Slams. So, now with the 2025 US Open schedule, she’s probably feeling pretty good.
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“I’m one of those players that doesn’t care,” Gauff said.
But not everyone shares that mindset. Tennis commentator Jose Morgado pointed out just how rough things can get, questioning why Maria Sakkari and Beatriz Haddad Maia had to start their match on Louis Armstrong Stadium at 11:28 p.m. And that was only after a grueling four-hour men’s battle that saw Felix Auger-Aliassime knock out third seed Alexander Zverev in four sets.
“Can’t understand why they don’t move Sakkari-Haddad Maia already. 30 minutes to play five games in this 3rd set with one set all,” Morgado questioned.
Can't understand why they don't move Sakkari-Haddad Maia already. 30 minutes to play five games in this 3rd set with one set all.
So, who should be questioned? The US Open organizers, or what?
So, the issue of late-night matches and scheduling has been a big topic in tennis lately, especially at the French and Australian Open. Wimbledon has even stricter rules, with an 11 p.m. curfew. And now, with the US Open reportedly giving priority to men’s matches over women’s again, as was the case at the French Open year on year, tensions around this issue are likely to heat up.
The 2025 US Open is barraged with more controversies
If you think timing is the only chaos arising out of this year’s US Open, then you’re wrong.
“The court speed, I can’t recall actually what the year was when it changed, when it started being slightly quicker than what it used to be,” Novak Djokovic said on Wednesday.
Well, factors like temperature, wind, and humidity can also play a role in how fast or slow the game feels. But no matter the conditions, opinions rarely line up. But organizers maintain that nothing has changed from last year. As per them, it’s the same balls and the same medium-fast courts. Still, not everyone agrees.
For instance, Alexander Bublik described the courts as “pretty fast.” And Alex De Minaur said they felt “quick and skiddy,” while fellow Aussie Jordan Thompson had a very different take after his opening-round win. “Usually it’s a lot faster,” he said. “But I wouldn’t call these courts fast this year.”