In a move that left fans and players scratching their heads, Aryna Sabalenka was forced to play her match at the US Open well past midnight. Sabalenka, who is one of the top contenders for the title, ended up finishing her match at an eye-popping 2 a.m., only returning to her hotel at 3 a.m.
This scheduling fiasco stands in stark contrast to the US Open chief’s pre-tournament comments, which have now gone viral for all the wrong reasons.
Before the tournament kicked off, the US Open head proudly declared tennis to be the “world’s healthiest sport”.
Sat in on a press conference two weeks ago in which the USTA followed much initial chat about tennis being the “world’s healthiest sport” with an announcement about a new late-night policy. Why is it not being implemented tonight? https://t.co/ZlVcOi6E2M
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) August 31, 2024
But after Sabalenka’s late-night slog, many are questioning how forcing one of the sport’s brightest stars to compete in the middle of the night fits into that narrative.
Aryna herself was taken aback by the situation. After beating Ekaterina Alexandrova close to 2 a.m., she couldn’t help but comment on the bizarre scheduling.
“That was an interesting decision in between matches to have this 1 hour and 20 minute gap. I was like, ‘No way… I’m gonna start at midnight.’ And that’s actually what happened. That was tricky. We stayed with the team and tried to relax. Right before the match we did our warm-up and we hoped for the best.”
It’s no wonder that social media lit up with reactions, with many fans and analysts slamming the tournament organizers for what they saw as terrible scheduling.
absolutely ridiculous to make players play so late at night, no time for recovery pic.twitter.com/Y4N5wfqnh9
— Tennis world (@claygrasshard) September 1, 2024
The idea that a top-tier athlete could be put in such a situation sparked widespread outrage. And the criticism only grew louder as Sabalenka’s comments made the rounds.
Despite the absurdity of the situation, Sabalenka managed to take it all in stride. In her post-match interview, she maintained a level of professionalism that won her even more fans.
And if that wasn’t enough, Sabalenka’s follow-up tweet after the match showed just how well she handled the whole debacle. Instead of lashing out, she took the high road, proving that she’s not just a force on the court, but also a class act off it.
Got back at 3am , woke up at 12Not that bad
— Sabalenka Aryna (@SabalenkaA) August 31, 2024
As for what’s next, Sabalenka will be hoping for better scheduling as she gears up for her next match at the US Open. With the way she’s been playing, she’s still very much in the hunt for the title. Her team must be hoping she doesn’t have to play another match that ends in the wee hours of the morning.
Fans will be watching closely as she takes on Elise Mertens, both for her performance and to see if the organizers have learned their lesson.
