LONDON, 24 September, 2026 (News Desk): Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz has called on Grand Slam organisers to introduce a cut-off time for matches after his US Open quarter-final defeat to Ben Shelton ended at 3:33am in New York, marking the latest finish in the tournament’s history. The five-set contest lasted four hours and 28 minutes, leaving Alcaraz physically and mentally exhausted following his return to competition after more than four months out with a wrist injury. Speaking ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in London, the seven-time Grand Slam champion said late-night matches were harmful to players’ recovery and gave their opponents an advantage. He explained that players finishing at around 3:30am often do not reach their hotels until much later and may be unable to sleep until 6:30 or 7am. Alcaraz said matches ending at midnight were already too late and urged tennis authorities to take action. He also highlighted the impact on spectators and television audiences, saying many fans had to leave the stadium or go to bed because of work commitments. According to Alcaraz, an earlier start could allow matches to finish at a more reasonable hour and attract larger crowds. Wimbledon has an 11pm local-time cut-off, while the US Open, French Open and Australian Open do not have a fixed time to stop play. Discussions about shortening matches have also emerged, with Novak Djokovic recently proposing a format in which sets would be won by the first player to reach four games instead of six. However, eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi defended the traditional best-of-five-sets format, arguing that winning three sets out of five requires greater consistency and distinguishes Grand Slam victories from other tournaments. Agassi acknowledged that matches should not finish so late but said reducing their length could diminish the sport’s history and the achievement of winning a major title.