Carlos Alcaraz has urged tennis authorities to address late-night Grand Slam matches, saying play should ideally end by 11:00 p.m. after his US Open title defense ended at 3:33 a.m. against Ben Shelton.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion made the comments Thursday in London ahead of the Laver Cup, where he will represent Team Europe.

Alcaraz wants earlier finishes

Alcaraz's US Open campaign ended when Shelton beat him in a four-hour, 28-minute quarterfinal that became the tournament's latest finish. The match ended at 3:33 a.m. local time.

Three other matches at the tournament finished after 2 a.m., while two more went beyond midnight. Venus Williams was involved in the latest-starting match, which began at 12:13 a.m.

"I think it's too much," Alcaraz said. "I would like to change the schedule a little with a maximum finish at 11:00 p.m., or whatever would be better."

Alcaraz said earlier scheduling would also help fans attend and stay for major matches.

"If that match was played earlier, the court could have been packed," he said.

Wimbledon already has an 11:00 p.m. local curfew, while the French Open limits its night sessions to one match. The U.S. Open has no fixed cutoff, although its organizers have said they will evaluate scheduling options.

The debate comes as leading players increasingly raise concerns about the demands of tennis' crowded calendar and limited recovery time.

Agassi backs more downtime

Andre Agassi, the eight-time Grand Slam champion and Team World captain at the Laver Cup, also called for greater protection of players' offseason.

"It would be my hope (for) an off-season of some relative form of security for both the players, but also for the fans so that they look forward to the game," Agassi said.

Agassi said he would not target the Laver Cup for cuts, praising the event created by Roger Federer and named after Australian great Rod Laver.

Instead, he said tennis should find ways to ensure its top players are able to compete at their best.

"I do absolutely air on the side that in a lot of times in life, less is more and in a lot of cases tennis could benefit from that," Agassi said.

Alcaraz welcomes Laver Cup return

Alcaraz is enjoying his return to London after missing the grass-court season, including Wimbledon, because of a wrist injury. He returned at the US Open and reached the quarterfinals.

He will compete for Team Europe alongside Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, Flavio Cobolli, Rafael Jodar and Jakub Mensik, with Arthur Fery serving as an alternate. Alcaraz is scheduled to play doubles with Mensik in Friday's night session.

"For me it is an honour to be here back in London," Alcaraz said. "I miss it this year to be honest and to be able to come back here in the Laver Cup, with these guys, I would say it is even better."

The team format also gives Alcaraz a chance to spend time with players who are usually his rivals.

"I love team events and team tournaments," he said. "You spend time with them and have fun."

He said the experience could help restore his enjoyment of competing after a demanding season.

"This kind of week helps me to bring my joy back on the court," he said.

Laver Cup carries special memories

The Laver Cup also returns to The O2, where Federer played his final professional match in 2022 alongside Rafael Nadal.

Ruud, who was part of Team Europe that year, recalled the emotional farewell.

"Everyone was trying to hold back tears, but they couldn't," Ruud said.

He hopes Team Europe can use the occasion as motivation this time.

"Maybe we can try to win for Roger this time in the O2," he said.

For Wimbledon semifinalist Fery, being part of the event caps a breakthrough season after he climbed from No. 140 in June to the Wimbledon semifinals.

"It's been an insane few months and really happy to be sharing the locker room with all these guys this week," Fery said.

Agassi said Alcaraz's wrist injury and lengthy absence underline the physical demands facing players.

"When I look at the wear and tear and the situation like Alcaraz, who is out for four-and-a-half months because of his wrist, the only surgery I had in my life was on my wrist and you only have one of them," Agassi said.

The Laver Cup runs through Sunday, but the wider scheduling debate will continue beyond London, with Alcaraz calling for Grand Slam organizers to give players and fans a more reasonable end to long match days.