"This is looney tunes"; "That's how Slams sell tickets" - Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka & John Isner comment on Australian Open late-night finishes
Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and John Isner were among the few players who gave their thoughts on late-night match finishes at the 2024 Australian Open.
The late-night finishes have often been a hot topic during tournaments and became controversial after Daniil Medvedev's second-round match against Emil Ruusuvuori. The Russian came back from two sets down to beat the Finn 3-6, 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-0. The match finished at 3:40 am local time.
The likes of Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were both asked about what they thought about these late-night finishes. The Serb said that it's a topic that had been addressed and Grand Slams have had discussions over the matter.
"I think it is addressed, to be honest. I know Grand Slams have had conversations about this. They obviously try to start the tournament a day earlier, et cetera. The daily schedule and the time of the matches are scheduled is a problem obviously when you have men's playing best-of-five can happen, as it did last night with day matches went five sets. Medvedev, again, started at 11 p.m.," the Serb said.
Djokovic also said that while having late-night fixtures was not an ideal situation, he couldn't see the Majors changing the format since that was how they sold tickets.
"Yeah, it's not ideal situation to be in that, for sure. I don't know. I mean, I don't see Grand Slams on main courts, particularly on the center court, changing the format of having day matches and night matches because that's how they sell their tickets. That's how they commercialize. That's how they promote," the World No. 1.
Aryna Sabalenka was asked about the same and she said that the situation could always improve.
"Well, there is always something to improve, you know. That's why you just can't be happy with the level you are at right now so you always have to keep moving, keep improving. That's why I said like even better. About late matches, yeah, Medvedev match finished super late, but I don't know, like, I don't know, honestly what to say," the Belarusian said.
Speaking further about Daniil Medvedev's match, Sabalenka said that she did not know why the proceedings went the way they did if they did not have any option to move to another court.
"For me it's better to finish the match instead of playing, like, on the next day and next day you have another match. So I would just finish it, sleep as long as I can, and prepare for the next day," Sabalenka said.
"Yeah, but the Medvedev match was super late. I don't know. Yeah, it was crazy late. I don't know if they had any options to move the match in another court or they didn't have any options, or, I don't know. Maybe they asked players if they're ready to go, if they want to go. So, yeah," she added.
John Isner and Tim Henman were other big names who gave their thoughts on the late fixtures in Melbourne.
Isner, who retired at the 2023 US Open, called the situation "looney tunes".
"No one should be playing tennis at 3:30 am. This is looney tunes," Isner wrote on X.
Tim Henman questioned whether the night session at Grand Slams should start earlier or if the balls could be made quicker.
“I don't know whether you need to start the night session a little bit earlier. Do you make the balls, the courts a bit quicker? Who knows? But this is not what they wanted in this tournament," the Brit said.
Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka both booked their places in Australian Open 2024 4R
Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka both booked their spots in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
Djokovic got his first straight-set win of the competition as he defeated 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(2)
Djokovic will next face 20th seed Adrian Mannarino in the fourth round of the Australian Open. The Frenchman booked his place in the Round of 16 of the Melbourne Major for the second time with a third successive five-set win, this time beating last year's quarterfinalist and 16th seed Ben Shelton.
Meanwhile, Sabalenka thrashed 28th seed Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-0 to reach the fourth round Down Under. The Belarusian will next face Amanda Anisimova who beat Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-4 in the previous round. The two will lock horns for the sixth time, with Anisimova leading 4-1 in the head-to-head.