Story perspectives

Ben Shelton Beats Alcaraz in US Open’s Latest Finish

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 11:40 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Ben Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz at 3:34 am, the US Open’s latest finish.
Alexander Zverev reported three of his five matches ended after 1 am, leaving him jet-lagged.
2026 US Open set a record with three post-2 am finishes in the first six days.
Martina Navratilova called the schedule “not ok” and Venus Williams said after 2 am is “extremely late”.
Tim Henman suggested protected start times or moving late matches to other courts.

History

Historical Context

The 2012 Australian Open, the tournament’s 100th edition in Melbourne, featured the longest Grand Slam final ever – Novak Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal in 5 hours 53 minutes, finishing at 1:37 am. That late finish, together with a 4-hour-50-minute semifinal between Djokovic and Andy Murray, sparked criticism of extreme scheduling and has since fueled ongoing debates about protected start times in major events.

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Story summary

Ben Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz at 3:34 am, the US Open’s latest finish.
Alexander Zverev reported three of his five matches ended after 1 am, leaving him jet-lagged.
2026 US Open set a record with three post-2 am finishes in the first six days.
Martina Navratilova called the schedule “not ok” and Venus Williams said after 2 am is “extremely late”.
Tim Henman suggested protected start times or moving late matches to other courts.

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