"Broadcasters give the money, they decide" - Djokovic on Roland Garros night sessions
ATP
Novak Djokovic played his second night session match at this year's Roland Garros as he lost to Rafael Nadal in four sets.
It is a well-known fact that neither Djokovic nor Nadal are great fans of having night sessions at tournaments. They make planning and maintaining and normal routine much harder for players.
Not only are the conditions tougher on the night, what with the cooler temperatures making the ball heavier and consequently the points longer, but also the recovery routine post-match means that players often do not get into bed until the early hours at best.
The latest encounter between the two legends was yet another night session for both players, with the Serb coming out after the game to criticize the nature of the idea.
"There are different opinions about the night sessions. I think they are starting too late, to be honest. But again, TV decides. That's the world we are living in. Broadcasters give the money. They decide."
The night session matches start at 21:00 local time and rarely end before 23:00. Last night's match ended at 01:15, meaning Nadal will have a harder time than usual preparing for future matches.
Alexander Zverev was also keen to criticize them at the Madrid Open after he was forced to play the final, which he subsequently lost, after going to bed at 04:00 the night before.
By the time players get their recovery work done, fulfil their media duties then get into bed, it is normally a different time zone that they have to adjust to. This then has a knock-on effect on the following day's proceedings, practice, and routine.
However, with the increased commercialization of the sport, it is difficult to see how tournaments would want to get around it. The added revenue of having a night session is hugely profitable for the organizers, in turn leaving tennis at a crossroads.
