Shelton's Sudden Victory: What This Means for Tennis' Late Night Thrills Ben Shelton's five set win over Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open has sparked a fresh debate about tennis' penchant for marathon matches.
The 3:33 AM finish, which capped off a four hour and 28 minute match, raises questions about player welfare, scheduling, and the sport's long term implications.
The trend of increasing match durations is well documented, with recent years witnessing a spate of epic battles that test players' physical and mental limits.