Wimbledon blasted for change made for Carlos Alcaraz vs Jannik Sinner final
The Wimbledon final will take place at a later time on Sunday with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battling it out for the title at SW19 in a repeat of the epic French Open final
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain faces Italian Jannik Sinner today
(Image: Peter van den Berg/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images )
Jamie Murray has voiced his concerns regarding the revised schedule for the Wimbledon final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which he fears could lead to an interruption due to poor light conditions — a situation he believes is "not right".
This year marks a change in tradition with the final at SW19 set to commence later than the historically customary 2pm start, now moving to a 4pm kick-off.
Murray's apprehensions stem from the most recent Grand Slam showdown between Alcaraz and Sinner at the French Open—a marathon of over five and a half hours, ending with Alcaraz mounting a dramatic comeback.
He notes that a similarly extended match under Wimbledon's new timetable could necessitate a disruptive intermission related to fading daylight.
The Scot, a former mixed doubles champion at Wimbledon, acknowledges that the time adjustment may be favourable for viewers in New York, where play would begin at 11am, but he stresses the potential negative impact on the players' experience.
Murray expressed his concerns to Metro, saying: "They've obviously moved the final to 4pm for TV.
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"I guess for the [United] States, I guess for the BBC getting a primetime audience or peak audience.
"That's a big change. I think what would be sad about that would be if they had to stop the match to close the roof because of light and stuff.
"It's not right that I don't think. But hopefully that doesn't happen," reports the Mirror.
The shift in timing also applied to Saturday's women's final, which went off without a hitch as Iga Swiatek swiftly defeated Amanda Anisimova, securing her first Wimbledon championship with a dominant 6-0, 6-0 victory on Centre Court.
All England Club chief executive Sally Bolton has defended the decision to alter the start time, insisting it was made "with players in mind", despite the potential disruption to Alcaraz and Sinner's match, which is expected to reach its climax during the final.
Bolton elaborated on the change: "We have adjusted the provisional schedule for the final weekend of The Championships with the ambition of improving the experience for all involved.
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"The move has also been designed with players in mind."
She further explained: "The doubles players competing in the finals will have increased certainty over their schedule and fans will enjoy each day's play as it builds towards the crescendo of the ladies' and gentlemen's singles finals, with our champions being crowned in front of the largest possible worldwide audience."
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