By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
There is a saying that nothing good happens after 2:00 am.
That is, except at the U.S. Open.
The fourth-round epic where Carlos Alcaraz defeated Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 finished officially at 2:23 am early morning on Tuesday, September 6, making it the fourth latest finishing match in U.S. Open history.
The match was three minutes shy of tying the all-time record, which strangely is shared between three matches is outlined below from my “On This Day In Tennis History” compilation
Sept. 2, 2014 – Kei Nishikori defeats Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-4 in four hours, 19 minutes in a fourth-round match at the U.S. Open that ends at 2:26 am, tying the tournament’s record for the latest finish. Nishikori and Raonic’s finish at the exact time as the 2012 match when Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated John Isner and the 1993 match when Mats Wilander defeated Mikael Pernfors. When asked by reporters if he was impressed by the late finish record, Raonic responds, “Not in the slightest bit.”
Sept. 3, 2012 – Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany registers a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over John Isner in the fourth round of the U.S. Open, concluding at 2:26 am on Labor Day morning. The match is the second of three U.S. Open matches to conclude at this exact time, the latest ever finish in U.S. Open history. In 1993, Mats Wilander defeats Mikael Pernfors in five sets in the first U.S. Open match to finish at 2:26 and two years later, Kei Nishikori outlasts Milos Raonic also in five sets, concluding at 2:26.
Sept. 4, 1993 – Mats Wilander finally defeats Mikael Pernfors 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 1-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in a 4 hour, 1 minute match that concludes at 2:26 am – the latest ever conclusion of a U.S. Open match. In the post-match press conference, when asked if he had ever played this late in the evening, Wilander dead-pans, “Played what?” In amazing coincidences, the 2:26 am latest finish time is tied, exactly to the minute, two times in later years, in 2012 when Philipp Kohlschreiber beats John Isner 6-4, 3-6, 4-6,6-3, 6-4 and 2014 when Kei Nishikori beats Milos Raonic 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4.
Interesting enough, Cilic played two matches that finished after 2 am, also defeating Alex DeMinaur in 2018 in a match that finished at 2:22 am, one minute earlier than his loss to Alcaraz. Rafael Nadal has also played two U.S. Open matches that finished after 2 am. The following is the list of matches to finish after 2 am in U.S. Open history.
Here are the latest finished of matches since night tennis began at the US Open.
2:26 a.m. – Kei Nishikori d. Milos Raonic / 4R in 2014
2:26 a.m. – Philipp Kohlschreiber d. John Isner / 3R in 2012
2:26 a.m. – Mats Wilander d. Mikael Pernfors / 2R in 1993
2:22 a.m. – Marin Cilic d. Alex de Minaur / 3R in 2018
2:14 a.m. – Frances Tiafoe d. Andrey Rublev / 3R in 2021
2:14 a.m. – Younes El Aynaoui d. Wayne Ferreira / 4R in 2002
2:13 a.m. – Maria Sakkari d. Bianca Andreescu / 4R in 2021
2:11 a.m. – Rafael Nadal d. Mardy Fish / QF in 2008
2:03 a.m. – Rafael Nadal d. Dominic Thiem / QF in 2018
