Gauff Calls For Action On Tennis' Late Finishes After Djokovic Match

Coco Gauff has called for tennis authorities to prioritise player welfare following Novak Djokovic's late finish at the French Open on Saturday. Djokovic triumphed in a five-set match against Lorenzo Musetti, concluding at 3:08 a.m. local time in Paris, breaking the tournament's previous record of 1:25 a.m.

After her victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto to reach the quarter-finals, Gauff expressed concerns about the late start times and their impact on players. "I feel like a lot of times people think you're done, but really at 3 a.m. [you're] probably not going to bed until 5 a.m. at the earliest, maybe 6 a.m. or 7 a.m.," said the 2023 US Open women's champion. "I definitely think it's not healthy."

Gauff emphasised that for the health and safety of players, it would be beneficial to avoid matches finishing or starting after certain hours. Her comments come in light of the ATP and WTA tours' new ruling from January, which states that matches cannot start after 11 p.m. local time. However, this rule does not apply to the four major tournaments, affecting male players more due to their best-of-five matches.

World number one Iga Swiatek, who defeated Anastasi Potapova on Sunday, supported Gauff's viewpoint. "It's not easy to play and it's not like we're going to fall asleep one hour after the match," Swiatek said. "[Change] is not up to us. We need to accept anything that is going to come to us."

The issue of late finishes has been a recurring topic in tennis, with players and fans alike calling for changes to ensure better scheduling and player welfare. The recent events at Roland-Garros have reignited this debate, highlighting the need for consistent regulations across all tournaments.

As discussions continue, it remains to be seen how governing bodies will address these concerns and whether any adjustments will be made to improve conditions for players in future competitions.