Andy Murray calls tennis scheduling “a total mess” after late US Open finishes

Aryna Sabalenka’s third-round match with Ekaterina Alexandrova became the latest ever women’s match to start when it got under way well after midnight

Andy Murray has questioned the late-night scheduling at the US Open (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)

Andy Murray has called the scheduling of the US Open a “total mess” after the latest ever finish of a women’s match on Sunday night.

Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng won her gold-medal rematch with Donna Vekic in a war of attrition, finally getting the job done at 2.16am.

It came 48 hours after Aryna Sabalenka’s third-round match with Ekaterina Alexandrova became the latest ever women’s match to start when it got under way well after midnight.

Murray knows a thing or two about being kept out on court until the early hours, with his second-round Australian Open match against Thanasi Kokkinakis famously ending at 4.05am.

The three-time grand slam champion, who is enjoying the early days of his retirement, posted on X: “The tennis scheduling situation is a total mess. It looks so amateurish having matches going on at 2,3 4am. Sort it out.”

Zheng did not seem to perturbed about her late night at the time, saying: “It’s always nice to play in the night session because I’m used to it.

“It’s the first time I’ve played here in New York at two in the morning. It’s unbelievable. Thanks to the fans that aren’t sleeping tonight, supporting me here.”