Why Carlos Alcaraz continues to miss out on Australian Open’s prime Rod Laver Arena slot

Carlos Alcaraz has made a plea to officials over the way his schedule has played out, but officials say there is a big reason why.

Ben Talintyre

3 min read

January 16, 2025 - 6:08PM

'You can't hate this man' Carlos Alcaraz wins over more fans in Melbourne

Carlos Alcaraz has pleaded with Australian Open organisers to schedule him on Rod Laver Arena after playing the opening two matches of his grand slam campaign on Margaret Court Arena.

The four-time major champion continues to be snubbed by tournament organisers, leaving him off the prime Melbourne Park court and scheduling him in a venue with half the seats.

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Scheduling has been a hot topic at this year’s Aussie Open, after Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios were all on court at the same time on Monday night.

Djokovic and Alcaraz again competed for viewers on Wednesday after they were both given the day session.

And while Djokovic has played on Rod Laver Arena for both of his matches, many are questioning why the Spanish No. 1 has not played a single match on centre court, especially after he wowed the crowd with a clinical 6-0 6-1 6-4 win over Yoshihito Nishioka on Wednesday.

Carlos Alcaraz was clinical on Wednesday as he dispatched Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)

It took 10 games for Nishioka to put a game on the board as Alcaraz had the crowd in awe, with the third seed needing just 44 minutes to win the first two sets – where he lost only 15 points.

It was an astonishing display by the 21-year-old, and many wondered why he was not on Rod Laver Arena, where the biggest stars get the stage to shine at Melbourne Park.

“Well, I like playing on Margaret Court Arena – I think it’s a really beautiful court,” Alcaraz said after his second-round win on Wednesday.

“Obviously, I want to play on Rod Laver, but we have to see the schedule, as well.”

But the main reason for his snub is his desire to play during the day.

“As I said many times, I don’t like to play night sessions,” Alcaraz said.

“I prefer to play day sessions. After the match, I can recover much better. I can go to sleep at a good time. It’s not too late for me.

“So I prefer to play a day session. If I have to play on Margaret Court, which is a really beautiful and great court, I’m going to do it. Obviously centre court of the grand slams, here in Australia the Rod Laver, is one of those courts that you want to play in.”

Carlos Alcaraz says he prefers to play in the day. (Photo by Vince CALIGIURI / TENNIS AUSTRALIA / AFP)

Tennis Australia told the SMH that meeting all scheduling requests was incredibly difficult and that they have prioritised the Spaniard’s desire for a day timeslot first before then fitting him into the best venue available.

“The AO is more than just Rod Laver Arena, and with such a high concentration of world-class talent and many factors, including player and broadcast requests – and Carlos has made no secret about wanting to play during the day – scheduling does become somewhat of a puzzle,” they said.

“However, we are fortunate to have three incredible arenas, each with their own unique personality and creating a sensational atmosphere for the players to compete at their best and the fans to enjoy.”

Rod Laver Arena (pictured) has double the amount of seats as Margaret Court Arena. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)

The day session isn’t for everyone, however, with the likes of American star Frances Tiafoe begging organisers to give him night matches after throwing up in a five-set epic with Arthur Rinderknech on Monday.

“I mean, it’s 11am, it’s a tough time. We played for four hours. All of lunch we are playing through it. We ate at 10am … I feel like it’s really tough to prepare. But it is what it is … I didn’t request anything,” Tiafoe said.

“I think you guys know I’m more of a night owl out here. I would have liked third [session], but, you know, when they schedule it, you play … There will be a request in for the next round, for sure.”