Wimbledon’s night curfew is both a blessing and a curse. Since 2009, Merton Council has strictly enforced an 11 pm cutoff for play, introduced alongside the Centre Court roof. The rule balances the demands of a global tennis event with local residents’ peace, minimizing noise and giving fans enough time to catch the London Underground, which stops running around midnight on weekdays. Yet, not all players are thrilled—Ben Shelton voiced his frustration when his Round 2 match was suspended due to darkness.
On Thursday, the American was left absolutely fuming. The American, just 22 and already a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist, saw his match against Rinky Hijikata suspended in the third set. He was up 5-4, so close to the finish line, when officials called it off. That meant he’d have to come back Friday—possibly for just one game—costing him a full day off.
But the tournament director, Jamie Baker, understood his frustration. On Friday, before play began, Baker admitted, “He had match point, didn’t he? I would be pretty unhappy as well. But, yeah, he’s in a good position.” You could almost hear the sympathy in his voice.
The No. 10 seed was serving for a straight-sets win when the match was halted at 9:29 p.m. The reason? Darkness and a strict curfew rule. Fans watching around the world were baffled. There was still visible light outside, but there was Shelton, visibly frustrated, arguing with officials about the decision.
Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – July 7, 2024 Ben Shelton of the U.S. leaves the court after losing his fourth round match against Italy’s Jannik Sinner REUTERS/Hannah Mckay
Things got heated on No. 2 Court, which, by the way, has no artificial lights or roof. Ben Shelton later took his frustration online, posting, “They ain’t wanna see anything else from me tonight, but I’ll see y’all tomorrow.” Baker, meanwhile, insisted, “We had already extended play as far as we were comfortable with.”
Baker added, “Off the top of my head, I don’t know the exact time. But we have been playing really late this week because the weather has been great, the skies have been clear, and last night we pushed it as far as we possibly could.” You could tell they were trying to be flexible, but rules are rules.
Shelton’s irritation wasn’t just about the timing. He’d just lost three match points on Hijikata’s serve. To make matters worse, he’d even asked if play could be suspended before the third set started. Now, he’s set to resume his match on Friday, right after Naomi Osaka’s third-round clash with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova on Court Two.
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