Djokovic joins the debate during the night sessions: “I don’t see the Grand Slam tournament changing; “That’s how they sell their tickets.”

The controversy has taken hold in Australia. The second round match of Daniil Medvedev (3rd), which ended after 3:30 a.m. local time, once again reactivated criticism of the programming format of certain Grand Slam tournaments, which divide their days into day and day sessions. night.

In fact, one of the clearest was Karen Khachanov, who, consulted by Deportivo in a press conference, gave a deep reflection on the reasons that led to this measure and the complications it could cause for the players: “In the end, the television decides, we players complain, but they need evening matches and that’s good for the public too, but sometimes “There have to be some limits… if you start at eleven o’clock at night, it’s not normal, it’s not healthy for anyone.” he commented.

Now, of course, it was the turn of Novak Djokovic, who after securing his place in the round of 16 in Melbourne, also addressed the subject. “I know the Grand Slam players have had discussions about it, they’re trying to start the tournament a day early, etc., but day and night sessions are obviously a problem . “Medvedev started at 11:00 p.m., so it’s definitely not ideal to be in this situation,” the world number one began by saying.

“I don’t see Grand Slam tournaments on the main courts, especially center court, changing the format of day and night sessions because that’s how they sell their tickets, that’s how they market, that’s how they promote. I don’t think it would be a full day session, but it would definitely help the players because we might have a few extra hours,” said the Serbian, who will face Adrian in the next round of the Open d Australia. Mannarino (19th).

Finally, in conclusion, he clarified that he believed that this was a topic of interest to the Big Four organizations and that they were also thinking about it and working on it. “Another option is to schedule one less match on center court. I’m sure Grand Slam tournaments incorporate many different possibilities into the equation. . “That’s all I can say,” he concluded.

A fair discussion, since the match played yesterday between Medvedev and Ruusuvuori, This is the third match to end later (03:40) in the history of the Australian Open. , only behind Murray vs. Kokkinakis (04:30) last year and the meeting between Leyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis (04:34) during the 2008 edition.

The only major to have taken action on this issue is Wimbledon, which currently does not allow matches after 11 p.m. Of course, the action was taken following complaints from neighbors surrounding the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club.