Swiatek, Gauff open up on late matches after Djokovic marathon

Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff emphasized the importance of commencing matches earlier at Grand Slams following defending champion Novak Djokovic's (37) marathon third-round victory that concluded in the early hours of Sunday morning.

After rain delays led organizers to squeeze in an additional match into Saturday's already full schedule, Djokovic was pushed to the limit by Lorenzo Musetti but drew strength from the crowd to emerge victorious in the latest-ever Roland Garros finish, a little after 3 a.m.

A few hours later, Swiatek breezed to a 6-0 6-0 win over Anastasia Potapova in just 40 minutes and expressed that late finishes were not ideal for fans or players.

"It's challenging to play, and it's not as if we can fall asleep an hour after the match. Typically, it takes us four hours just to relax, and we need to focus on recovery, media. The work doesn't end when the match point is secured," Swiatek informed reporters.

"I have always been one of the players advocating for starting a bit earlier. Also, I'm not sure if fans are watching these matches if they have to work the next day or something when matches are ending at 2 or 3 a.m."

Former Roland Garros finalist Coco Gauff echoed Swiatek's sentiments.

"It might not be fair for those who have to play late because it disrupts your routine. I've been fortunate not to have experienced an extremely late finish yet," Gauff mentioned after defeating Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1 6-2 in an hour on Sunday.

The WTA and ATP Tours jointly announced this year a restriction on the number of matches that can be scheduled in an evening session and prohibited matches from commencing after 11 p.m. for the welfare of players.

Gauff suggested that this could be an idea for the Grand Slams to consider as well.

"Perhaps if a match is running long, they could consider changing courts," Gauff added. "I understand it's difficult because, especially here, there's only one night match, and people have paid for those tickets."