An important member of Carlos Alcaraz’s team has sent a clear message to US Open chiefs after the Spaniard’s late night defeat to Ben Shelton.
Alcaraz lost in five sets to Shelton in a US Open quarter-final that started after 11pm on Tuesday and ended at 3:33am on Wednesday — setting a new record for the latest-ever match finish time at the tournament.
It was the fourth match played in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday following a men’s quarter-final between Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen, and two women’s quarter-finals.
All four matches went to a deciding set, and three were decided by a match tiebreak in the final set.
Alberto Lledo, Alcaraz’s fitness trainer, has asserted that playing so late at night “is anything but healthy for an athlete.”
“On some occasions, I know (I say this humbly) that performance is not synonymous with health,” Lledo wrote on Instagram.
“We have to adapt to any circumstance, and whoever does it first gains a competitive edge, but starting a 5-set tennis match at 11pm is anything but healthy for an athlete.”
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US Open organisers have come under fire for their approach to scheduling in the aftermath of the Shelton-Alcaraz clash.
Paolo Bertolucci, a former Italian tennis star who is a commentator for Sky in Italy, made some strong comments on X/Twitter.
“They’ve decided to kill tennis,” wrote Bertolucci, who won six ATP Tour singles titles and peaked at world No 12.
“Over four hours of a match that ends at 3:30 in the morning. Then they despair over absences due to injuries. Shame!!!
“Asking an athlete to perform at 3 a.m. means pursuing a diabolical plan designed to destroy tennis.”
Following his loss to Shelton, Alcaraz said: “Well, as I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play in these kinds of matches, for me, being healthy.
“So, it was close. It was close. So, I’m just a little bit disappointed about not getting the win, but I’m just happy. I’m just proud about myself, about how I fought.
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