Following the marathon match between Novak Djokovic and Lorenzo Musetti, which concluded at 3 AM in the French Open, Iga Swiatek expressed her concerns about late-night finishes. The four-time Grand Slam champion supported the idea that night matches should start earlier. She highlighted that the post-match recovery process for players takes several additional hours, making it difficult for them to recover properly and maintain their performance levels throughout the tournament. Swiatek’s comments add to the growing criticism of current scheduling practices at major tournaments.
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek recently secured an extraordinary fourth-round victory against Russia’s Anastasia Potapova (ranked No. 41), winning 6-0, 6-0 in just 40 minutes. The defending champion, who has now achieved 18 consecutive wins at Roland Garros, will face the 2023 Wimbledon champion, Marketa Vondrousova, in the quarterfinals.
Three-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek remains in great form with 16 consecutive wins on clay, having secured WTA 1000 titles at both the Madrid Open and the Rome Open. She defeated World No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the finals of both tournaments. In the Madrid final, Swiatek clinched the victory in a third-set tie-break after an intense three-hour match. Reflecting on the late finish of that match, she commented: “It’s not fun to play at 1 am though, but I’m happy anyway that I was able to get past this experience and survive and be in the final.”
Regarding Novak Djokovic’s fourth-round battle, where he overcame Lorenzo Musetti in a grueling 4.5-hour match that ended at 3 AM, Iga Swiatek was asked about the issue of matches ending in the early hours of the morning. A journalist posed the question:
“This morning we are watching Novak Djokovic play until 3 o’clock in the morning. It is an issue in tennis when matches are starting late and then finishing after midnight. You’re World No. 1. Do you think as a sport there should be a cut-off? Do you think tennis should do more? I’m thinking of ball kids and security staff. It’s not just the players that are tired. It’s everyone in the arena who is working late.
”Swiatek responded by acknowledging the broader impact of late finishes, emphasizing that it affects not only the players but also the ball kids, security staff, and everyone else involved in the event. She reiterated her support for starting night matches earlier to ensure a more reasonable end time, facilitating better recovery for all parties and maintaining the overall professionalism of the sport.