Entertainment

Midnight starts and money disputes fuel tension over tennis Grand Slam scheduling

Organizers face mounting player criticism over late-night finishes, which are driven by lucrative broadcasting and ticketing strategies.

Updated Aug 31, 2026 · 13:55 UTC1 reports

The short version

Late-night tennis matches are increasingly drawing criticism from players who argue that early-morning finishes disrupt their physical conditioning, sleep, and recovery.
Three of the four Grand Slam tournaments utilize split day-and-night sessions to maximize ticketing and television revenue, while Wimbledon relies on an 11 p.m. curfew.
A new Grand Slam players advisory council will launch after the US Open to give competitors a greater say in how major tournaments are managed.

Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin's first-round US Open match began after midnight on Monday and finished after 2 a.m., following a four-hour match between Novak Djokovic and Mariano Navone.[BBC News]
The US Open, Roland Garros, and the Australian Open run separate day and night sessions to sell twice as many tickets and boost TV rights value, such as ESPN's domestic US Open contract worth $2.04 billion through 2037.[BBC News]
Wimbledon enforces a strict 11 p.m. curfew for matches and does not use split sessions, partly because its broadcaster, the BBC, is not reliant on commercial advertising revenue.[BBC News]
Players like Coco Gauff have stated that late matches delay bedtimes to between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. due to mandatory post-match press, showers, and medical treatments.[BBC News]
In response to scheduling and revenue complaints, players including Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, and Jannik Sinner limited their media duties at Wimbledon and Roland Garros in protest.[BBC News]
Both Wimbledon and the US Open increased player prize money in 2026 amid ongoing disputes regarding revenue distribution, recovery times, and pension contributions.[BBC News]

It remains unclear if the newly formed Grand Slam players advisory council will successfully lobby for or enforce an end to late-night finishes.[BBC News]