Some would say it was such a long game that it started in May and ended in June. Rafael Nadal defeated Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros on Tuesday May 31, or rather on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, after 4:12 a.m. and a match point won at 1:16 a.m. This moment, which will undoubtedly remain in the annals of Parisian clay, also raises debates.
The match point and the ovation of the Philippe-Chatrier court after Rafael Nadal’s victory at the end of the night #Roland Garros pic.twitter.com/ekZ0iTeieF
— Roland Garros (@rolandgarros) June 1, 2022
Asked about the subject, the two players mentioned the disadvantages of these schedules. “Starting at 9 p.m., here on clay, in the best of five sets, it can be very long. But that’s how it is”, reacted Rafael Nadal, the big winner of the evening. Novak Djokovic expressed an even stronger opinion. “I think it starts too late”he said.
Both have pointed out the influence of money matters and TV broadcasting. “There is a part of business in all this, I understand it well, explained the winner of the evening. There are all the televisions that pay a lot to have these matches, late at night or at night.” For the Serbian “It’s the broadcasters who decide”. “It’s the world we are in. They are the ones who put the money”he added.
Established for the first time at Roland-Garros in 2021, the system, with matches scheduled to start from 8:45 p.m., has an impact on form and recovery. “At best, you finish at midnight. But then you have to go home, have dinner, do physio, try to rest despite all the adrenaline of the game.”explained Carlos Alcaraz, who has become a “regular” of Parisian nights this year.
While the negotiations around Tuesday’s programming could believe in an evening opposition between him and Zverev rather than between Nadal and Djokovic, the young Spaniard had taken a stand. “I have already played twice at night [lors de ce Roland-Garros]. Being at night the third time would seem unfair to me.”
The situation becomes even more sensitive as the rounds follow one another, and the deadlines get closer, reducing the rest time between two meetings. Alexander Zverev, whom Nadal will find in the semi-finals in Paris, had paid the price in Madrid in early May. The German had been swept away in the final of the Masters 1000 (6-3, 6-1) by Carlos Alcaraz, after having played the two previous rounds in the evening.
The world number 3 did not mince his words after his final: “The ATP job has been an absolute disgrace this week. Two days ago I went to bed at 4 or 4:30 in the morning, yesterday at 5:20.”
“When you go to bed one night at 4 a.m. and then the next night at 5 a.m., just waking up is difficult (…) You are dead. You are not able to practice physical activity at the highest level.”
Alexander Zverev, after the Madrid Masters 1000 finalat a press conference
Nadal cited the example of Zverev on Tuesday night to illustrate how he believes evening games can be “a real problem”. The Spaniard considers himself lucky to have two days off before heading into his semi-final on Friday.
If the night sessions are talking about Porte d’Auteuil, Roland-Garros is far from being the first Grand Slam tournament to have adopted this device. When biathlon legend Martin Fourcade raises the question of“sports fairness”Lucas Pouille recalls on Twitter that “that’s what happens” already to whom the Australian Open and the US Open.
Australian Open that’s what happens, US Open too.. https://t.co/NZU5KdhLsD
— Lucas Pouille (@la_pouille) May 31, 2022
In Melbourne and New York, the “night sessions” start earlier than in Paris, at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. (local time). However, several meetings follow one another, sometimes until late at night. In 2008, the third round between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis thus ended at 4:33 in the morning.
Some would like this configuration to apply to Roland-Garros. Asked about this on Wednesday morning, the tournament director, Amélie Mauresmo did not close the door to an adaptation for the next editions. “We will try to see if we change the start time, there are a lot of parameters to take into account.” However, there is no going back: “The night session will obviously stay”, assures Amélie Mauresmo. Wimbledon, the other European Grand Slam, which takes place a few weeks after Roland-Garros, therefore remains the only Major where no match is scheduled in the evening.