Each and every Major has its own idiosyncrasies and nuances. Till 2018, US Open was the only Grand Slam to feature a tiebreak in the deciding set. US Open has always been open to changes and this year is no different as the officials made a massive announcement regarding the scheduling at this year’s tournament in Flushing Meadows.

In the city that never sleeps, US Open organizers will keep the tournament running almost all day and night long. The news was shared on US Open’s official Twitter account.

What this change could mean to Tennis?

This would be the first-ever Grand Slam tournament in which games will be officially played at midnight. The long-running games have stretched the schedule for the day. Some matches have gone over five hours mark, even bleeding into the next day’s early hours. But no match has ever been scheduled to start at midnight.

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The reason behind starting with night matches is not known yet, but it will definitely put less pressure on the schedule and the time gap between some of the rounds will be larger than normal.

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As per the late games experiences, the audience and staff enjoy a more relaxed atmosphere at night than during the day schedule matches. The night shift rule might require extra ground staff and also support staff for late-night games.

 The final Major of the year will start on 23rd August and the main draw matches start on 29th Aug. It will be interesting to see how the crowd and fans respond to midnight sessions in Flushing Meadows.

US Open History and some previous changes

The final Grand Slam tournament of the season has a long and glittering history of 140 years. There were some changes in the past, which impacted the tournament drastically. It was first played on Grass, then moved on to the clay court for 3 seasons, and finally shifted to hardcourt in 1978.

It also set an example by distributing equal prize money to both men’s and women’s singles winners. The highest paying Grand Slam was later followed by Wimbledon.

In 2006, US Open also became the first Major to feature ‘Hawk-eye’ technology. 

US Open has witnessed many firsts in its 14o years of history. Can the introduction of night sessions at Flushing Meadows become an instant success revolutionizing the sport even further? Or will invite the wrath of players and spectators?

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It will be intriguing to witness how the night sessions unfold at this year’s US Open!