Ranking the Top 6 Latest Finishes in US Open History

The lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium have stayed on well past midnight for quite a few matches over the years. These marathons have sparked debate among fans over whether the final rounds should be played on Ashe Stadium or moved to a different court with earlier start times. These six men’s singles matches stretched later than any others, keeping fans in the stadium into the early hours of the morning.

1. Ben Shelton def. Carlos Alcaraz (2026, Quarterfinal) - 3:33 a.m.

The 2026 US Open produced a new record for the latest-ever finish at the tournament. The match started after 11 p.m. on Tuesday, September 8th, and ran 4 hours and 28 minutes, eventually ending at 3:33 a.m. the following morning. The result was a surprising upset, with Shelton defeating the defending champion 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) in a thriller that swung back and forth all night.

The match ended Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak at majors and tested his conditioning in his first tournament back after nearly five months off with a wrist injury. Alcaraz could be seen vomiting into a towel during the decisive final set.

When the match finally concluded, fans were eager to head home but still enthralled by the excitement that unfolded on the court. The win broke a record that had stood since 2022, and also sent Shelton to an all-American semifinal against Frances Tiafoe.

2. Carlos Alcaraz def. Jannik Sinner (2022, Quarterfinal) - 2:50 a.m.

The previous record for the latest match at the US Open was also held by Carlos Alcaraz, though this time he emerged victorious. In the 2022 quarterfinal match, Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner traded momentum for 5 hours and 15 minutes, with Sinner serving for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set before Alcaraz broke back to force a decider.

Eventually, Alcaraz won 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-7(0), 7-5, 6-3, dropping to the court in disbelief when it finally ended. He went on to win the US Open title this year, becoming the youngest world No. 1 in ATP history in the process.

3. Alexander Zverev def. Tomas Martin Etcheverry (2024, Third Round) - 2:35 a.m.

Alexander Zverev’s third-round match against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the 2024 US Open came close to the record, finishing at 2:35 a.m. local time. Zverev trailed by a set and a break at 5-7, 2-4 on Louis Armstrong Stadium before turning the match around, breaking Etcheverry’s serve eight times over the rest of the match to win 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-3.

By the time it was said and done, the match lasted three hours and 36 minutes. Despite lasting only four sets, its late start around 11:15 p.m. contributed to it stretching into the next morning. The win moved Zverev to a 100-34 career record at majors, making him the first man born in 1990 or later to reach the 100-win mark at Grand Slams.

4. Kei Nishikori def. Milos Raonic (2014, Fourth Round) - 2:26 a.m.

Kei Nishikori took on Milos Raonic in the fourth round of the 2014 US Open, with the match lasting until 2:26 a.m. Nishikori withstood 35 aces and 79 winners from the hard-serving Raonic, overcoming a nagging foot injury to win 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-4.

The match lasted 4 hours and 19 minutes, and the result marked Nishikori’s first breakthrough to the US Open quarterfinal. He’d go on to reach the final that year, becoming the first Japanese man in the Open Era to do so. At the time, it was tied for the latest-ending match in US Open history.

5. Philipp Kohlschreiber def. John Isner (2012, Third Round) - 2:26 a.m.

Back in 2012, Philipp Kohlschreiber and John Isner’s third-round US Open matchup didn’t begin until past 11 p.m. due to a rain delay. It finished at 2:26 a.m. and tied the record for the latest finish at the time.

Kohlschreiber needed all five sets to beat the American Isner, with a final tally of 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. This match extended Kohlschreiber’s personal streak of beating Isner at the US Open in three straight years.

6. Mats Wilander def. Mikael Pernfors (1993, Second Round) - 2:26 a.m.

The second-round match between Mats Wilander and Mikael Pernfors in 1993 lasted until 2:26 a.m., showing that the US Open’s late-night reputation isn’t anything new. Wilander, a two-time US Open finalist (runner-up in 1987, champion in 1988) and former world No. 1, needed all five sets to get past his fellow Swede.

With a final score of 7-6(3), 3-6, 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-4, this match held the record for the latest-ending contest at the US Open for nearly two decades before it happened again.

The Scheduling Debate

This year’s record-breaking finish reignited the conversation on how the US Open schedules its matches. Some fans have proposed moving some quarterfinals off Arthur Ashe entirely, with Andy Roddick saying on his podcast, “If you schedule [quarterfinal matches] on Louis Armstrong, you won't have a problem with the night session.”

Meanwhile, other fans are strongly against Roddick’s suggestion, citing the cost of tickets in Arthur Ashe Stadium and the expectation to witness the tournament’s best tennis there. Other proposals have gained minimal traction, ranging from pairing a singles match with doubles to adopting no-ad scoring.

Regardless, late finishes have become part of the US Open’s identity, and also the thing a growing number of players and fans want fixed, with no fix yet that satisfies everyone.

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