The previous record for a late start time in the US Open, including the men’s division, was from 1987 when Gabriela Sabatini defeated Beverly Bowes, a match that started at midnight.
It was a protracted schedule on center court Arthur Ashe Stadium after the day’s match between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton took over four hours to be followed by the three-hour match between Alexei Popyrin and Novak Djokovic, which opened the evening session.
The organizer kept in constant contact with Sabalenka and Alexandrova while waiting for the match to start.
Waited out Djokovic’s match
– They asked us for our opinion. They kept the staff in the stands so we would have the opportunity to move but there was also a risk of rain. It was tricky. So we waited for the fourth set (of Popyrin-Djokovic). If it had gone to a fifth set, I think we would have had to move to the Grandstand court, says Sabalenka who was happy that the match was played at Arthur Ashe, the world’s largest tennis stadium with room for 23,771 spectators.
– To be honest, I preferred to play in such a beautiful stadium than the Grandstand, although it is also a cool course, but Ashe is different, Sabalenka told the WTA tour.
The match ended at 01:48 local time in New York.