Craig Tiley, the newly appointed chief executive of the United States Tennis Association, has confirmed to Sky Sports Tennis that the tournament will retain its current format of two daytime matches and two evening matches at Flushing Meadows beginning in 2027. Tiley, who stepped into the USTA role after a decade leading Tennis Australia, says there are no intentions to alter the schedule despite recent criticism over matches that have stretched into the early hours of the morning.

The issue resurfaced after Ben Shelton’s marathon five‑set quarter‑final against Carlos Alcaraz concluded at 3:33 a.m. local time on Wednesday. The nearly five‑hour battle ended to a very small live audience, underscoring the growing concern among players, fans, and broadcasters about the practicality of matches that run past midnight. Historically, the US Open has seen a number of late finishes: three matches ended after 2 a.m.

in the first six days of the tournament, and two additional contests pushed beyond 1 a.m. The night‑time atmosphere, however, remains a beloved aspect of the event, with many athletes relishing the chance to compete under the lights in New York City’s biggest sporting venue. The timing debate is part of a broader dialogue about player welfare, prize‑money distribution, and the overall working conditions on the professional tour.

While the US Open and the Australian Open have been criticized for allowing matches to run into the early morning, the other Grand Slam events have introduced stricter curfews. Wimbledon now halts play at 11 p.m. local time, and the French Open limits night sessions to a single match per day, attempting to balance spectacle with reasonable hours for athletes and spectators alike.

One proposed remedy – moving the start of evening sessions to an earlier hour – is complicated by the logistics of New York’s commuter crowd. Many fans travel to Flushing Meadows after a standard workday, and shifting the schedule could reduce attendance and affect revenue. Tiley acknowledges these constraints, noting that the tournament must juggle the expectations of a city that lives for late‑night tennis with the practicalities of crowd management and transportation.

In a recent interview, Tiley explained his perspective: "I hear from a lot of people that it finishes too late and then I say, okay, and your suggestion is? I don't get anything. You can't control the length of the match. What's really interesting is in the last 10 years the amount of tennis from when you hit a point to when a point stops has been about the same.

But the length of the matches on the men's side has increased by an average of about 25 minutes. That's because we now have the shot clock so everyone is taking their time, and we have the towels here which takes a bit more time and so the whole length of it is a bit longer. Not that much longer, but in fact the average time of the men's matches today is still not in the top four average times in the last 10 years. While it feels really late, the reality is you've got to go and look at the data.

But that being said, no one wants to finish at 3:30 a.m. in the morning, although the rest of the world in the daytime saw a pretty amazing match." Tiley continued, "We really like the two days and two nights.

Two full sessions and you get a women's match and a great men's match, and that's what our fans are telling us. They can come out and see three, four, five hours of entertainment and if it goes really long like the other night, that's a great sporting ticket so I will keep it." This sentiment reflects a desire to preserve the unique atmosphere that night matches create, while also acknowledging the fatigue that extreme late finishes can cause for players and fans alike.

The tournament’s social media team responded to the Shelton‑Alcaraz marathon with a light‑hearted post, inviting fans to fill in a blank on a mock excuse note to their employers: "We understand how important showing up is, but sometimes you have to make time for things you're passionate about. Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton put on an absolute stellar performance during their US Open quarter‑final, and ______ was a fully committed fan who was completely locked in from start to finish." Beyond schedule tweaks, another recurring suggestion is to shorten men’s matches in the early rounds from best‑of‑five to best‑of‑three sets. This idea is contentious because five‑set matches are traditionally viewed as the hallmark of Grand Slam drama.

Former US Open champion Frances Tiafoe weighed in, saying, "I think for the men we should stick with three out of five. I don't know where the conversation is going, what people are leaning to. Everyone is going to have an opinion, everyone is different.

We've seen so many epics in five‑setters. Do I love five‑setters?

Absolutely not. There's a lot of times where I'm up two sets to love and I'd love to shake hands and go home.

But it's tennis, man." Despite the ongoing debate, the US Open remains a marquee event on the tennis calendar, with Sky Sports securing a three‑year extension to broadcast the tournament through 2030. The tournament will kick off on August 30, and fans can stream matches without a contract via NOW or the Sky Sports app.

In addition to the main draw, the US Open will feature ancillary programming, including coverage of the Laver Cup at London’s O2 arena later in September. In summary, while late‑night finishes have sparked discussion about player health, fan experience, and logistical feasibility, Craig Tiley has signaled that the US Open will continue its two‑day, two‑night session format for the foreseeable future.

The organization plans to monitor data, listen to stakeholder feedback, and possibly explore incremental adjustments—such as earlier evening start times or modest changes to match‑length rules—without compromising the iconic night‑time spectacle that defines the tournament for many of its most ardent supporters.