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Empty seats, tired stars: The US Open’s post-2 am finishes spark a pushback | Other Sports News

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Alexander Zverev wasn’t in the mood for much conversation.

With empty seats everywhere after he finished his US Open first-round match in the early morning hours, he took two questions from reporters on the court and quickly wrapped it up.

“I think everybody’s tired,” he said.

“Everybody wants to go to sleep.” The city that never sleeps is going a little overboard this year.

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Players have long loved the electricity of night matches at the US Open, where tennis under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium is a hallmark of the American Grand Slam tournament, with fans staying late and bringing plenty of energy. But with the tournament this year already setting a record with three post-2 a.m. finishes over the first six days, plus two more going past 1 am, concerns are bubbling up about how much after midnight is too much on such a big stage.

 

“I know they’re dealing with a lot of different aspects as far as broadcast and TV and making sure certain matches get done and are starting at a certain time for those reasons,” third-ranked women’s player Jessica Pegula said.

“But you have to wonder if it’s really the right thing for players to be finishing at 2 am, especially when it’s not – like, I’m not watching on TV. I’m sleeping. Some people stay, but there is a lot of people that need to go home.” Wimbledon instituted an 11 pm curfew. The French Open schedules just one match a night. The US Open is famous for going late, though this time maybe to an extreme.

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On opening night, Venus Williams was subjected to the latest start in US Open history at 12:13 am, after it took 4 hours, 36 minutes for Novak Djokovic to get knocked out in the first round.

Much of the crowd stuck around to see what could wind up being the 46-year-old’s final Grand Slam singles match, a loss to Sofia Kenin, but the timing itself was a challenge.

“It’s not ideal,” Williams said.

“I would have preferred something else, definitely. It wasn’t great for either of us, so I think we both tried our best. I just don’t know any other sport where you have to start that late. I definitely think there’s room for improvement there.” Zverev’s first two matches ended at 1:55 and 2:15 am, making him the first top-seeded man to play back-to-back five-set matches to start a major in the Open era, which dates to 1968. Ben Shelton’s second-rounder that started Friday night went until 2:07 am Saturday thanks to the Williams sisters’ doubles match lasting more than three hours.

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Four of the latest 17 finishes in tournament history have occurred this year. The record is still 2:50 am from when Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals in 2022 on the way to his first US Open title.

“Not easy,” Shelton said after defeating Denis Shapovalov in 3 hours, 22 minutes.

“My first time experiencing playing this late.” Shelton figured the earliest he’d get to sleep was 5 am.

Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, who two years ago played what is now the fourth-latest women’s match, is not a fan of playing after midnight and the potentially lingering effects.

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“When you finish late, the next day shifts a lot,” Sabalenka said.

“Like, you still need to get your hours of sleep, so you start later. You just can really mess up your schedule.

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Melbourne Cup winner Half Yours set for 2026 Makybe Diva Stakes return

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The esteemed Melbourne Cup winner, Half Yours, is poised to begin its championship defence in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained stayer is once again being targeted for this year’s Melbourne Cup (3200m), scheduled to take place at Flemington on November 3.

Jamie Melham, who achieved a historic Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double as the first female jockey to do so, will partner the stayer in its first-up run over 1600 metres at weight-for-age this Saturday.

During the previous campaign, some observers questioned Half Yours’s form. It raced first-up in Sydney before a three-race stint in Queensland, the final of which was the Q22 (2200m) at Eagle Farm in June, where the gelding finished fourth.

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Half Yours spent time spelling in Queensland before returning to the McEvoy stable at Flemington early last month to prepare for its racing comeback.

Following two jump-outs at Flemington, Half Yours is considered ready for its return. Tony McEvoy indicated that while the most recent trial, a fourth-place finish over 1000 metres, might have appeared disappointing visually, the team was pleased with the outcome.

“I was really happy with his trial,” McEvoy commented.

“If you put him in a 1000-metre race, he would get completely run off his legs and they ran it like a race.

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“It wasn’t like a normal trial and he got chasing.

“They were also trials at Flemington where they finish on a bend, so it’s very hard for horses to make ground on a bend.

“Whilst it didn’t look impressive, I thought he moved well, trialled nicely and the horse is telling us he’s going very well while his coat is coming better by the day.

“All the data that we collate on him is normal.

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“He certainly hasn’t gone backwards.”

Following its initial run on Saturday, Half Yours is expected to contest the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on October 3, a race where it previously finished fourth before capturing the Caulfield Cup.

The Group 1 Cox Plate, which will be hosted at Flemington this year, will serve as the concluding race in Half Yours’s preparation for the Melbourne Cup.

Check out the best betting markets for the race from various providers.

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4 WWE Superstars who could help Oba Femi against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed

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Oba Femi’s match against Bron Breakker at Sunday Night’s Main Event did not reach a proper conclusion, thanks to the returning Bronson Reed. The Aus-Zilla made his first appearance since February and destroyed The Ruler with multiple Tsunamis.

Femi’s night ended with him staring at the lights, writhing in pain. Reed’s return has strengthened The Vision once again, and The Ruler will need some backup to counter the numbers advantage.

Here are four WWE Superstars who could help Oba Femi against Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed.

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#4. Je’Von Evans

Je’Von Evans has a direct reason to have problems with The Vision. Logan Paul previously tried to recruit Evans into the faction. The Young OG turned down the offer, and Bron Breakker later attacked him during his match against Austin Theory.

The Street Profits came to Evans’ aid after the attack. However, that was not the end of his issues with The Vision. Breakker and Theory later defeated Evans and Dragon Lee in July.

Evans therefore knows what Breakker and The Vision are capable of. If the two try to take advantage of Femi again, Evans could step in. It would also give Evans another chance to stand against a group he has already rejected. Moreover, Evans and Femi share plenty of history from their time in NXT, which could also come into play.


#3. & #2. The Street Profits

The Street Profits could be another natural choice to help Oba Femi. Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins have been dealing with The Vision for much of 2026. Their issues with the group have already led to several confrontations, and they eventually won the World Tag Team Championship from Breakker and Austin Theory, only to drop it back to the heel duo.

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That history gives them a clear reason to get involved. If Breakker and Bronson Reed use their numbers to overwhelm Femi, Ford and Dawkins could come out to even things up.

Moreover, helping Femi could give The Street Profits another chance to get at Breakker and Theory. Their involvement would also keep the rivalry between the two sides going.


#1. Seth Rollins could help Oba Femi

The current situation could give Seth Rollins a perfect reason to return. The Visionary has been away from television since losing to Roman Reigns at SummerSlam.

Rollins is no stranger to The Vision. The Architect picked Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed to be part of the group. However, Breakker turned on Rollins and kicked him out, and Reed stayed with The Dog.

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Rollins had a heated feud with the group and a trilogy of matches against Breakker earlier this year. However, Reed was absent during all of it. Now that the Australian powerhouse has returned, The Visionary could resume his feud with the group that he created and help Oba Femi against Breakker and Reed.