The Controversy of Marathon Tennis Matches: Grand Slams Under Fire for Allowing Late-Night Play

The recent French Open match that finished at 3:07 a.m. has sparked debate about the health risks of marathon tennis matches. Champion Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff expressed concerns, while others argue for the beauty of late-night matches.

The French Open is renowned for its thrilling matches, but the recent record-breaking finish of a match between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti at 3:07 a.m. has ignited a heated debate about the health and fairness of marathon tennis matches.

Defending champion Djokovic was visibly drained after the five-set match, which concluded in the wee hours of the morning. The late finish sparked criticism from fellow players, including 18-year-old U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff.

"I feel like a lot of times people think you're done, but really at 3 a.m. [you're] probably not going to bed until 5 a.m. at the earliest, maybe 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.," Gauff said, raising concerns about recovery time.

Top-ranked women's player Iga Swiatek echoed Gauff's sentiments, stating, "It's not easy to play and it's not like we're going to fall asleep one hour after the match."

The debate has drawn attention to the fact that while the ATP and WTA Tours implemented a rule this year prohibiting matches from starting after 11 p.m., the Grand Slams are exempt from this regulation. Grand Slams feature men's matches played in best-of-five sets, while ATP Tour events are best-of-three.

The French Open faced criticism for scheduling the match between Grigor Dimitrov and Zizou Bergs on the main court late in the evening, which delayed Djokovic's match.

"I think some things could have been handled a different way," Djokovic remarked after the match, without explicitly criticizing the scheduling.

Despite concerns about recovery time, Djokovic acknowledged the unique atmosphere of late-night matches. "There's also a beauty in winning a match [so late]," he said.

The issue of marathon matches is not new in tennis history. In 1988, Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander played a five-set match at the Australian Open that ended at 4:34 a.m.

Grand Slam tournaments have faced pressure to address the issue of late-night matches. In 2022, Wimbledon implemented a rule that all matches must finish by 11 p.m., with a tiebreak at 12-12 in the final set.

However, the French Open and other Grand Slams remain hesitant to adopt such measures, citing the unique atmosphere and tradition of marathon matches.

The debate over marathon matches is likely to continue, with players, fans, and tournament organizers weighing the risks and benefits of allowing matches to extend into the late hours of the night.