Former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski has called on tennis officials to solve a scheduling issue he says no other sport faces, following Alexander Zverev’s latest late-ending US Open match.

Zverev needed four hours and 33 minutes to get past Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3 in the second round at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match ended at 2:15am on Friday morning. It came after the top seed had already survived another exhausting five-setter in the opening round against Lorenzo Sonego, a contest that finished at 1:55am.

The debate around the schedule has intensified during this year’s event. Sofia Kenin’s first-round victory over Venus Williams began at 12:13am, which set a record for the latest start in US Open history, and did not conclude until just before 2am.

Rusedski, speaking on his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast after Zverev’s second-round win, said the issue needs attention.

“Well, I think you need to find some sort of solution,” said the 1997 US Open finalist.

He pointed to the basic problem created by night sessions that include both men’s and women’s matches.

“The conundrum you have is, do you have one match from eight o’clock, or one match from seven o’clock?

“When you have a men’s and a women’s match, whichever starts first, somebody’s going past midnight usually — if you get a three set match in the women’s, or if you get a five set match in the men’s.

“And I think it’s brutal because there’s no time limit and that’s where we need to find the balance.

“But then, what do the tournament do? If you get an injury in the opening match, how do you sell your ticket? So it’s either you say, okay, we’re going to put on one three out of five set match men’s, followed by doubles, or two ladies for the evening sessions.

“And that’s how we get away from those late finishes. And we say the start is at 7:30pm, so even if it goes five hours, you’re finishing, at the latest, at 12:30.

“But also, you got to remember this is a global sport. So, for some people 2am in the morning is their local time in their country for like the evening sessions.

“So, it’s really tricky for the tournaments, but I think there has to be a solution, because we shouldn’t have athletes playing that late in the evening. There’s no other sport in the world that does it.”

Rusedski’s comments followed criticism from Martina Navratilova, who had already spoken out about the night session schedule after the Kenin-Williams match.

Andre Agassi’s view of Grand Slam glory has remained blunt since he first lifted a major trophy in 1992 at age 22. Speaking during this year’s French Open, the eight-time major champion said that winning a Slam does not alter the demands that follow. In his view, the work continues, and the weight of expectation is never really lifted.

Agassi explained, “We have had a lot of one Slam wonders, that have done some[thing] incredible — I’m sure they’re thrilled they won. When I finally got over the finish line [and won my first Grand Slam], I was let in on a dirty little secret: that winning changes nothing.

“You are gonna have that pressure again if you have more expectations from yourself. So you gotta deal with it, you gotta bring it on Sunday like you did at the start of the tournament.”

Linda Noskova has found that same message reflected in her own career since winning her maiden major at this year’s Wimbledon. The 21-year-old has since admitted to difficulties with motivation and results. Before the US Open, the Czech player said, “Once you feel like you have kind of achieved the dream that you have always been thinking about and dreaming about, it’s very tough to switch and to act like it never happened basically and go for the same thing all over again.

“The motivation is not 100% as it was right before the tournament.”

Sam Querrey has also challenged the idea that a major title automatically brings freedom. After watching French Open champion Alexander Zverev battle through two five-set matches in his first two US Open rounds, the former world No 11 said the myth does not hold up.

He said on Nothing Major, “The top players get through these top rounds pretty easily. He [Zverev] is struggling right now, for whatever reason. I think there’s a whole myth that when you win a major it relaxes you and frees you up.

“That is so not the case. It’s not like all of a sudden Zverev won Roland Garros; he doesn’t get nervous or anything. That’s not just for him; that’s for anyone.”

Zverev looked more at ease at Wimbledon, where he lost a close four-set match to Jannik Sinner. At Flushing Meadows, however, he now faces 25th seed Alejandro Tabilo on Saturday after two matches that went deep into the night. To win his first US Open, he may need a far cleaner route through the tournament.

Iva Jovic has moved into a third-round meeting with Alex Eala at the 2026 US Open, and she made no effort to hide her enthusiasm after finishing her own latest win.

The No 14 seed and No 17 seed were among the names many expected to cross paths when the draw was announced last week, and both have now done enough to make that matchup a reality.

Jovic advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 second-round victory over world No 104 Francesca Jones on Thursday. Her route into the match has not been straightforward, either. In the first round, the 18-year-old American beat Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3 in a contest that stretched across two days because of rain delays in New York.

Eala has also been efficient in reaching the same stage. She opened with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Mary Stoiana before backing it up with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round.

After beating Jones, Jovic was asked in her on-court interview about the meeting ahead, and her response was immediate. “I’m super excited,” said Jovic.

“The atmosphere is gonna be amazing, and she’s been playing some great tennis.

“It’s nice to be playing each other third round, deeper into the Slam, so hopefully we can all keep going on runs like this.”

Jovic also acknowledged the physical strain of playing three days in a row because of the weather interruptions. “Yeah, it’s been a bit of a grind the past couple of days, but happy to catch up to speed, and no rain today, hallelujah, so good to be out here on dry courts.”

Eala, speaking after her second-round win, returned the compliment and offered a respectful assessment of Jovic. “She’s an amazing player,” said the 21-year-old Filipina

“Young, very talented, and very intelligent, of course. She’s a high-ranked player and and very, very accomplished, and I’ve encountered my fair share of challenges against her this year.

“But yeah, I mean it’s not under my control who I play. All I can do is, you know, give my best and try to do everything that I can to win.”