Carlos Alcaraz calls for curfew on late finishes before Laver Cup return

Why Carlos Alcaraz wants an 11pm curfew - Draper and Sinner hit by injury before tournament

His US Open title defence ended with a defeat to Ben Shelton that ended at 3.34am as the contest lasted four hours and 28 minutes, going the distance to a fifth set.

Alcaraz still walked away from Arthur Ashe Stadium smiling, despite the result.

It was his first tournament in more than five months, after a wrist injury had left him in daily pain.

He had skipped his French Open title defence and Wimbledon entirely, and only confirmed his place in New York a week before it began.

Speaking to BBC Sport ahead of this week's Laver Cup, Alcaraz called reaching that stage of the US Open "a gift" after such a long injury lay-off.

He was blunter about the hours involved, though. "I think it's too much," he said of finishing so late, arguing an earlier start would have kept fans in their seats.

"The last match people stayed, but if that match was played earlier, the court could have been packed," he said.

"I would like to change the schedule a little, with a maximum finish at 11pm or whatever would be better."

Other players faced the same problem at Flushing Meadows.

Eventual champion Alexander Zverev had three separate matches run beyond 1am during his opening five ties, and Venus Williams' first-round contest did not finish until 2am.

Alcaraz is not the only player to have lost time to injury this season.

Britain's Jack Draper ended his campaign early because of a persistent arm problem, while Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz's biggest rival, sat out the tournament in New York with a knee complaint.

Alcaraz, 23, said he expects to skip further tournaments in order to protect his own fitness for his post-recovery matches.

The Laver Cup runs from 25 to 27 September at The O2 in London, with Alcaraz representing Team Europe.

A wrist injury kept him out for more than five months, and the US Open marked his first tournament back after he skipped his French Open title defence and Wimbledon entirely.