Night session

A night session is the evening block of matches on a tournament's show court, sold as a separate ticket from the day session. The US Open's is the famous one: it starts at 7 p.m. on Arthur Ashe Stadium with two matches, and the atmosphere is part of the tournament's identity. The problem is arithmetic: if the day session runs late or the first night match goes long, the second can start near midnight and finish in the small hours.

When you see it

The 2026 US Open had a record three finishes after 2 a.m. in its first six days, and the top seed's first two matches ended at 1:55 a.m. and 2:15 a.m.; FifthSet's column on the night session argues for one singles match per night. The ATP has a rule for its own events: at most two evening matches, a match not on court by 10:30 p.m. is moved, and nothing starts after 11 p.m. without the supervisor's approval. That rule does not bind the Grand Slams, which have their own governing bodies; the US Open gives its referee discretion to move a match not started by 11:15 p.m. Wimbledon has an 11 p.m. curfew imposed by the local council, and Roland-Garros schedules a single night match.

Rule basis

ATP Official Rulebook, Chapter VII, 7.21 (Match Scheduling): no more than two evening matches, none to begin later than 7:30 p.m. without ATP approval, and the late-night note on the 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. limits.