Aryna Sabalenka overcame a slow start in the latest-starting match in U.S. Open history, coming back to defeat No. 29 Ekaterina Alexandrova 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 early Saturday morning to advance to the fourth round.
The No. 2 seed’s match began at 12:07 a.m., and she lost the first set just 30 minutes later. However, she took charge at the start of the second set and won 10 consecutive games, going up 5-0 in the third set.
The match ended at 1:48 a.m., marking it as one of the latest finishes for a women’s match at the U.S. Open, and Sabalenka will now face No. 33 seed Elise Mertens on Sunday.
“I was happy that I was able to stay focused, no matter what, and I was able to turn around this match,” Sabalenka said.
The previous latest start for a women’s match at the U.S. Open was exactly at midnight on September 2, 1987, when Gabriela Sabatini defeated Beverly Bowes 6-3, 6-3.
The night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium started more than an hour late, after Frances Tiafoe’s match against Ben Shelton, which lasted 4 hours and 3 minutes, pushed back the schedule.
This year, a new late-night match policy allows the tournament referee to reschedule any match not started by 11:15 p.m. However, Sabalenka and Alexandrova stayed in Ashe Stadium after defending champion Novak Djokovic lost to No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin.
A U.S. Tennis Association spokesperson mentioned that the Grandstand was kept open as a backup if needed for the Sabalenka-Alexandrova match.
