Coco Gauff has expressed considerations concerning the affect of late-night match finishes on tennis gamers’ well being, suggesting that event organizers implement a compulsory cutoff time for when evening matches can start.
On Sunday, Novak Djokovic‘s third-round match in opposition to Lorenzo Musetti on the French Open concluded at 3:07 a.m. native time, having began at 10:37 p.m. the earlier evening.
Coco Gauff wins the match level due to this mid-air acrobatic stunt
The grueling five-set match lasted 4 hours and 29 minutes, marking the newest end in French Open historical past.
Night time matches, that are ticketed individually from daytime play on Courtroom Philippe-Chatrier, usually begin at 8:15 p.m. native time. Nonetheless, rain delays compelled organizers so as to add an additional match to the primary courtroom schedule, pushing Djokovic‘s match to a a lot later begin.
“Yeah, I positively suppose ending at three a.m. is — I really feel like quite a lot of occasions folks suppose you are carried out, however actually, three a.m., then you have got media tasks after which it’s important to bathe, eat, after which quite a lot of occasions folks do therapies,” Gauff defined.
“In order that’s in all probability not going to mattress till 5 o’clock on the earliest, perhaps six o’clock, and even seven o’clock.
“I have been fortunate I have never been put in a super-late end but.”
Late finishes have gotten a daily characteristic on the calendar
Late-night matches have gotten more and more frequent, with comparable occurrences on the Australian Open and US Open. Gauff believes there must be a set time within the night after which no new matches can begin.
“What will be carried out? I do know on the tour facet they’re occupied with placing matches cannot begin after a sure time,” Gauff mentioned.
“I do not know if it’ll be a Grand Slam rule, however I do know on the WTA Tour, I feel that is one thing to have a look at. Perhaps if a match goes lengthy, probably transferring courts.
“Then I do know it is robust as a result of, particularly right here, it is just one evening match, and folks clearly paid for these tickets.
“It is a sophisticated factor, however I positively suppose for the well being and security of the gamers it will be within the sport’s greatest curiosity.”
Gauff important of how tour views gamers
Gauff then burdened her displeasure with how the tour views the collaborating gamers, suggesting they’re mere merchandise to them.
“I feel that we’re their product, basically,” she declared.
“I positively suppose, I really feel like tournaments have gotten extra understanding.
“Some tournaments are extra understanding than others. It is robust, however I feel tournaments … ought to hearken to the gamers extra.”
