Former world No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic has stepped into the growing dispute around tennis scheduling, arguing that the sport is facing criticism no matter what it does.

The debate has intensified in 2026 as players continue to speak out about a tour that many feel has become too physical and too long. That has fed renewed demands for calendar reform, while injuries to Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Jack Draper have also sharpened concerns over the demands placed on the game’s leading figures. Questions around the quality of tennis balls have been part of that wider discussion.

At the US Open, late-night finishes have drawn particular attention. Venus Williams did not begin her first-round match until after midnight, while Alexander Zverev has had back-to-back finishes in the early hours of the morning. Greg Rusedski has also called for weed to be banned from Flushing Meadows after Aryna Sabalenka’s latest complaints.

Against that backdrop, former British player Mark Petchey argued that the sport’s wider momentum should not be ignored, saying tennis is “ exploding in popularity” and that more should be done to celebrate the “hardest sport in the world”.

Ljubicic, who was Roger Federer’s former coach, responded after Christopher Clarey highlighted a run of late finishes at the US Open. He tweeted, “THREE nights past 2 a.m., not the kind of record you want to be setting. Is there not a much better way for the health and well-being of everyone involved in the tournament?”

He later added, “Well we have @rolandgarros scheduling one night session match – controversial? @Wimbledon with 11pm curfew… Controversial?… Seems like whatever our sport does is controversial…”

The response to Clarey’s post was mixed, but many agreed with Ljubicic’s view. Whether the tournament makes changes now or later remains unclear, yet the issue has again placed tennis under scrutiny at one of its biggest events.

Andy Roddick believes Serena Williams may not be finished after her US Open doubles defeat alongside Venus Williams.

The sisters, whose combined age is 90, pushed Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching hard in a first-round match on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium before falling 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (10-7). The 14th seeds had a chance to close it out in the final-set tie-break, going 5-0 down, but Joint and Chan, who had already beaten Serena at this year’s Wimbledon in three sets, recovered strongly and left the home crowd deflated.

Serena entered Wimbledon this year with a singles wildcard, but chose not to accept one for Flushing Meadows. That left plenty of uncertainty around whether this appearance was only a brief return or the start of something more substantial for the 23-time major winner.

Roddick, however, thinks there is more to come. He said on Served, “Serena did an interview with Malika Andrews (ESPN). And she just asked her, ‘Are you going to play singles again and a major?’ And she said, ‘Yeah, I want to. I’m going to’.

“I think she’s gonna use this as a springboard… maybe this was a stress test. Can I still play? Is it still there? I think the answer is yes.

“I don’t know if tonight would deter her in any way. The movement looks good. I still think she has more in the serve, legs and shoulder and everything else. I’d bet you a dollar that she plays [in] Australia.

“I have no idea what Venus is gonna do. She is not thirsty. She doesn’t do a ton of it. She doesn’t do a ton of pressure. She just kind of loves the game. Serena… the only reason I have an opinion on it is because she said it very clearly to a very pointed and clear question.”

Roddick also felt Venus was the stronger player on the night. He added, “I think Venus was the best player on the court tonight. Venus was dominant, holding serve, attacking returns. I thought she was fantastic.

“She’s a good doubles player still. Made the [US Open] quarters with Leylah Fernandez last year. I thought she played great tonight. She hit the ball great. I thought Serena, like, weirdly, it’s almost like I think she wanted to win for Venus. But it was so fun for me to watch.”

Aryna Sabalenka’s latest US Open match was briefly interrupted when the world No 1 raised concerns with the umpire about a strong smell she believed was drifting across Louis Armstrong Stadium during her match against Kamilla Rakhimova.

“Would you mind to (tell them to deal with it) because it’s so strong?,” she asked during the match.

The issue was not fully resolved on court, and the smell complaints have become one of the recurring talking points of the tournament. Sabalenka returned to the subject after the match and made her position clear in press conference remarks.

“You can do what you want, smoke what you want, relax as much as you want, but please don’t do it near the tennis courts,” said the two-time US Open champion.

“It’s a bit embarrassing to have to put up with that smell when you’re trying to give your best. I don’t know if it was coming from the stands or from outside, because the wind was blowing it into the stadium.”

Sabalenka was not alone in questioning the conditions. Adrian Mannarino also pointed to the same issue after his defeat to Alexander Bublik, saying the atmosphere around court seven had become difficult to ignore.

Speaking after his exit, to Eurosport France, Mannarino said: “Now people are allowed to move around in the crowd during points. Before, they were not allowed in the court except during changeovers. Now they come in whenever they feel like it; they move around and talk.

“The tournament puts up with it, and I don’t know if it’s the best thing for tennis in general. There’s a smell of marijuana on the court, noise everywhere; the truth is it’s turning into a bit of a zoo. The playing conditions are really peculiar.”

The tournament has already faced criticism on other fronts this year, including high ticket prices and the growing presence of influencers around matches. Umpires have asked influencers to quiet down during play, and several players, including Naomi Osaka, have questioned the shift in etiquette.

“I think obviously if you come to a sporting event, you have to respect the sport,” said Osaka after her second round victory against Katerina Siniakova. “I feel like it’s common courtesy to read up on the sport, especially the etiquette.”

For a tournament of this stature, the conversation has again drifted away from results and toward the environment surrounding the action.