"All we care about is money" "Only in tennis does this happen" – Fans slam US Open as tournament refuses to budge from 2 night matches schedule

Tennis fans have condemned the US Open's decision to continue with a two-matches-per-night-session schedule for this year's tournament.

Several players in the recent past have complained about the late finishes that result in mental and physical fatigue. Many have demanded better scheduling for recovering well during an important tournament.

But when Stacey Allaster, US Open tournament director, was asked during a press conference ahead of the event if the organizers were shifting to an early start instead of the conventional 7 pm schedule, she brushed off the speculations and said:

"At the moment we're staying the course with two night matches. We'll continue to evaluate it."

Allaster's announcement has not sat well with the fans, who have alleged the organizers are only concerned about selling tickets. One of the fans wrote:

"This is not about #USOpen caring about the fans. This is about them selling tickets. I am sure all tennis players want nothing more than to play matches that end at 1 AM. Only in tennis does this happen."

A user argued that a tennis fan can easily plan for an early start to an event that is held only once a year.

"Crap answer from Allaster. This is a once a year event. Attendee can make a once a year arrangement to get to a 6:00 start time. Allaster cares about prime time revenue. Not about the fans who have to commute home between 1-2:00 am and not about the players," they wrote.

Another fan suggested the WTA matches should be played first during a night session.

"Basically "all we care about is money." At least tournaments should always have women match on first, never second, in the night sessions..," the fan wrote.

Here are a few more reactions:

Last year's quarterfinal between Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner was the latest finish in US Open history

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz greet each other.

Last year, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner set the record for the latest finish to a tennis match at US Open.

Alcaraz and Sinner began their quest for a place in a US Open semifinal at 9:35 pm on September 7, 2022. By the time Alcaraz secured the match, the clock ticked 2:50 am the following day.

Previously, the record for the latest finish in New York was held jointly by three different matches. A fourth-round match between Kei Nishikori and Milos Raonic in 2014, a third-round tie between Philipp Kohlschreiber and John Isner in 2012, and a second-round match between Mats Wilander and Mikael Pernfors in 1993 all concluded at 2:26 am.

Alcaraz and Sinner played for five hours and 15 minutes to also set a record for the second-longest match at the Flushing Meadows in terms of duration. The 1992 semifinal between Stefan Edberg and Michael Chang holds the record for the US Open's longest match, lasting for five hours and 26 minutes.