Novak Djokovic is calling for an end to late-night matches at Wimbledon to avoid playing the same match over two days in drastically different conditions.
The defending champion secured his 14th quarter-final appearance by defeating Hubert Hurkacz in a match that started on Sunday evening but concluded on Monday afternoon.
Wimbledon adheres to an 11:00 pm curfew due to its location in a residential area of southwest London. Djokovic believes that the 1:30 pm start time on Centre Court is too late and suggests a noon start instead to minimize the effects of changing conditions.
While acknowledging the difficulty of changing the curfew, Djokovic believes starting matches at noon could make a significant difference.
Djokovic’s match against Hurkacz was interrupted by the curfew, with the roof open when play resumed, altering the playing conditions.
Despite the challenges, Djokovic emerged victorious with a 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (8/6), 5-7, 6-4 win. Djokovic’s request for an earlier start time is prompted by the need for consistent conditions throughout the match.
