For Coco Gauff, late scheduling is certainly not an issue with the World No.3 in a blessed position that she often plays early in the day. But amid the colossal late finish with Novak Djokovic last night at Roland Garros, the scheduling comes under the microscope.
Gauff was quizzed after she saw off Elisabetta Cocciaretto to reach the Quarter-Finals. She won through 6-1, 6-2 and as ever with the early slot for Gauff, she sped about her business and was over just about as quick as quick can be. But after Djokovic, she called out the scheduling and said that it’s not healthy or fair that players like that have to play that late.
She quipped that rules perhaps need to be implemented and health and safety has to come first. Djokovic defeated Lorenzo Musetti for the latest ever finish at Roland Garros which lasted until 3am local time in a night session which initially was slated for 20:15 but had to be slightly altered due to other matches being fit in.
For someone like Djokovic who will play on Monday, he will get minimal recovery time now after defeating Musetti and also it is a theme which has been an undercurrent of this tournament in that there has been no WTA matches in the Night Session. A bone of conjecture for many who have complained that the women as ever are getting a rough deal.
“I definitely think finishing at 3 a.m. is — I feel like a lot of times people think you’re done, but really, 3 a.m., then you have press and then you have to shower, eat, and then a lot of times people do treatments, so that’s probably not going to bed until 5 at the earliest, maybe 6, and even 7 a.m.
“I definitely think it’s not healthy. It may be not fair for those who have to play late because it does ruin your schedule. I’ve been lucky I haven’t been put in a super late finish yet.
“What can be done? I know on the tour side they’re thinking about putting matches can’t start after a certain time. I don’t know if it’s going to be a Grand Slam rule, but I know on the WTA Tour. I think that’s something to look at.
“Maybe if a match is going long, possibly moving courts. Then I know it’s tough because, especially here, it’s only one night match, and people obviously paid for those tickets. It’s a complicated thing, but I definitely think for the health and safety of the players it would be in the sport’s best interest I think to try to avoid those matches finishing — or starting after a certain time. Obviously, you can’t control when they finish.”