'Unfair!' - Carlos Alcaraz wants daytime quarter-final against Alexander Zverev at French Open after two nights

Updated 30/05/2022 at 08:32 GMT

With quarter-finals between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, and Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal scheduled for the same court on the same day, one match will be played in the evening session but both Acaraz and Nadal are keen to play in the daylight. The Spanish teenager claims it would be unfair for him to play at night again, having had his last two matches under the lights at Roland-Garros.

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Carlos Alcaraz has played two matches in the night session so far at the French Open, and now he wants his quarter-final clash with Alexander Zverev to take place in daylight.

Although the later start did not seem to be a problem for the Spanish teenager as he dispatched Sebastian Korda and Karen Khachanov with ease in his last two matches, Alcaraz thinks, out of fairness, that session times should be evened out among the final eight players.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal is also pitching for a daytime start for his blockbuster showdown with world number one Novak Djokovic - with that match, along with Alcaraz-Zverev, scheduled to be played on Court Philippe Chatrier on Tuesday.

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The two heavyweights of the sport have played one tie apiece in the evening session so far in Paris - with Nadal making no secret of his dislike of playing after dark on clay.

Alcaraz has made his stance clear, saying: "It would be unfair to me. Let's say things clearly. I already played twice on night sessions. I don't say I'm bothered to play it but I have less recuperation time, everything finishes late."

The 19-year-old has given an insight into how the late finishes impact players at the tournament.

“At the very best, you finish at midnight, then you have to go home, to eat dinner, to do physio, try to rest but with the adrenaline... It's more complicated to rest. So, be again, for the third time in a row, playing night session, it wouldn't seem fair to me," he said.

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The weather also plays a part in players wanting to play at certain times, with Zverev saying: "I don't mind the evening sessions when it's 30 degrees during the day.”

However, on colder days, the German admits the evening becomes more of a challenge.

"My serve is going to be even slower, my forehand is going to be even slower. It's not going to be an easy thing for me to play at 9:30 at night with no sunlight, with no heat, and 8 degrees”, he said.

Whatever the weather, Zverev is convinced he will be meeting Alcaraz under the lights at Roland-Garros as they battle for a spot in the semi-finals.

“I'm pretty sure I'm going to play at night against Alcaraz, because that's just how it's going to be," he said.

That would lead the way to Nadal having his request approved. The 13-time champion has been open about why he prefers daytime fixtures on the surface, saying "I don't like to play on clay during the night, because the humidity is higher, the ball is slower, and there can be very heavy conditions especially when it's cold."

With players able to make requests with regard to the schedule and when they would prefer to play, defending champion Djokovic has changed his tune having seen the weather change in the French capital.

Last week, the Serbian said: "All I will say is Rafa and I would make different requests”.

However, after blitzing past Diego Schwartzman in straights sets to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the 16th time, Djokovic said: "Today I'd rather play day than playing 9:00 p.m. Conditions are different today. It's colder, slower.”

Temperature are expected to change from the chilly 10 degrees experienced on Sunday, up to daytime highs of 22 degrees on Tuesday

As the competition enters its final stages, every small detail could be crucial for some of the world’s best players, and although they may disagree on timings, they will all be on the same page when choosing which television programme is on in the locker rooms at Roland Garros: the weather forecast.