US Open Scheduling Dilemma: Rybakina Pushed Into Unwanted Late-Night Match

| by Evita Mueller

Elena Rybakina admitted before the US Open that she's hoping to avoid late-night finishes, but she's facing that prospect on Friday with her match being last on the Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Elena Rybakina was the latest victim of scheduling when she found herself wrapping up a match in Montreal at around 3 in the morning. It was a terrible experience for the Kazakhstani player who blasted the WTA about scheduling.

The late finish completely disrupted her sleep and rhythm, derailing what seemed like a promising week at the WTA 1000 event in Canada. Others backed up her comments, as we've seen the Tour enduring multiple scheduling controversies this year.

Much of that comes from event organizers being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Appease players or try to maximize profit? It's a tough one, though judging by how the US Open is handling it, the money seems to do most of the talking. Despite late matches being called out by players, the US Open organizers double down on their decision to have them.

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The night shift in New York consists of two matches, with the second one starting no sooner than 9 p.m. local time. Suppose it's a competitive match that goes the distance. In that case, it generally finishes after midnight because it rarely begins at 9 p.m. Friday's final match on Louis Armstrong will feature Elena Rybakina taking on Sorana Cirstea.

It could be a long match, and depending on when it starts, it could extend beyond midnight. The programme on Louis Armstrong begins at 11 AM but features four matches before Rybakina takes the court. Two are WTA and two ATP ones; there is a chance they could all last more than 8 hours combined.

Even if not, Rybakina won't begin before 9 p.m. local time, and that's unfortunate because it's precisely what she hoped to avoid. Speaking before the event, Rybakina admitted that she wanted to avoid late finishes, but it seems like the event organizers didn't get the memo.

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