Novak Djokovic plays a shot against Lorenzo Musetti in the fifth set of a French Open third-round match that ended after 3 a.m. Sunday in Paris.
Jean-Francois Badias/Associated Press PARIS — Iga Swiatek provided a simple explanation for why she requested that the French Open not put her on the schedule during one of its night sessions, which often turn into way-past-midnight sessions. “I just like to sleep normally,” the No. 1-ranked player explained.
Catching the right amount of z’s is no easy task in Grand Slam tennis these days, for the athletes or those watching them compete. Current players, ex-players, and the folks who run the sport tend to agree that it’s hardly ideal to carry on into the wee hours of the morning – something that keeps happening over and over. The latest example was defending champion Novak Djokovic’s five-set victory in the third round of the French Open against Lorenzo Musetti, a contest that began after 10:30 p.
m. Saturday and didn’t wrap up until after 3 a.m.
Sunday. Not great for the players. Or the fans on hand or those trying to follow along from afar.
Or the stadium workers. Or the on-court officials. The biggest problem? No one can get on the same page when it comes to finding a fix.
“It’s a complicated thing,” U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff said Sunday.
“But I definitely think for the health and safety of the players, it would be in the sport’s best interest to try to avoid those matches finishing – or starting –.
