Ben Shelton, Zverev Battle Sleep Deprivation at US Open Semi-Finals
Key Points
- Ben Shelton finished his quarter-final against Carlos Alcaraz at 3:34am on Wednesday.
- Alexander Zverev reported going to bed as late as 6:45am during the tournament week.
- Three of Zverev's five matches finished past 1am, while opponent Karen Khachanov has not played past midnight.
Sleep Deprivation Effects on Performance
Shelton faces a similar disadvantage against Frances Tiafoe in Friday night's semi-final at 19:00 local time. Tiafoe wrapped up his quarter-final at 19:00 on Tuesday after a five-set victory over US compatriot Alex Michelsen, meaning he will have had nearly three full days of recovery before the semi-final. Matt Little, who served as Andy Murray's long-time strength and conditioning coach, emphasized the competitive consequences. "The advantage of the opponent who has played earlier in the day will be big - they've had that full evening's rest and a good night's sleep," Little told BBC Sport. "We can all relate to it - if you have one really bad night's sleep, you have the knock-on effect of that for the coming days."
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Little witnessed these effects first-hand at the 2023 Australian Open, when Murray finished a match at 4am and managed only three hours of sleep before returning to Melbourne Park approximately 11 hours later. Murray described that situation as a "farce."
Shelton insisted he would manage adequately despite going to bed after 3:30am on Wednesday and having only two days off court before his semi-final. However, Little suggested Shelton would need strategic recovery methods. "He'll have to be napping to catch up some sleep," Little said. "On the nutritional side, he'll be making sure he gets as many carbs and as much protein as he can in for that next match, and trying to get back to a bit of a routine. It's about making sure you can optimise the hydration and get as much sleep as possible without completely going into a full slumber."
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Zverev, meanwhile, compounded his fatigue by staying up past 5am following his opening three victories at Flushing Meadows and remained awake to watch Shelton beat Alcaraz on his night off. His first daytime match at this year's US Open will come in Friday's semi-final against Khachanov, marking a significant break from the early morning scheduling pattern that has defined his tournament run. The scheduling imbalance raises structural questions about tournament equity, particularly when multiple players advance to decisive stages after vastly different rest periods.
Sources: BBC Sport and other international news outlets.
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