Roddick Defends 3:30 a.m. US Open Finish After Shelton Upsets Alcaraz in 5 Sets

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 10

Andy Roddick backed the U.S. Open’s late-night format after Ben Shelton’s quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz ended shortly after 3:30 a.m. ET, saying critics complain without offering workable fixes.
Roddick said tournament organizers must move 25,000 fans out and back in safely, and that Shelton-Alcaraz could not start earlier because Frances Tiafoe’s five-set match with Alex Michelsen ran long.
The former champion conceded that five-hour matches can be too much for some viewers and workers, but argued tennis loses part of its identity if it abandons long-form endurance battles.
Shelton’s five-set upset made him the first American man to beat Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner at a Grand Slam and, with Tiafoe also advancing, guaranteed at least one American man in the 2026 U.S. Open final.
Friday’s Shelton-Tiafoe semifinal now gives U.S. men a shot at their first homegrown U.S. Open singles title since Roddick won in 2003.