Novak Djokovic complains about Wimbledon schedule

Wimbledon defending champion Novak Djokovic thinks that some improvements can be made when it comes to scheduling matches for the tournament. He is among several players who have had to play on a near-daily basis over the past week as long matches, rain delays and an 11:00 pm curfew forced numerous adjustments to the schedule.

On Tuesday, Djokovic will be forced to play for the third day in a row as he prepares to face Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals. He played for two consecutive nights prior after getting his match against Hubert Hurkacz interrupted by the curfew on Sunday.

Their fourth round-match started late because the earlier matches ran long for various reasons. As a result, Djokovic and Hurkacz had to wait around for over seven hours before they could take to Centre Court. Then, due to the late start, they had to stop while the Serb was holding a two set advantage at 6-7 (6-8), 6-7 (6-8).

The match resumed the following day, where the players faced the opposite situation. They had to start earlier than they originally expected after the match before them finished early. Beatriz Haddad Maia retired due to an injury during her clash against Elena Rybakina, with the match ending after only 21 minutes.

Hurkacz managed to take the third set away from the seven-time Wimbledon Champion, but Djokovic eventually settled the score after four sets at 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 4-6. The victory puts Djokovic into the quarter-finals, which he will have to play on Tuesday without a day to rest.

Djokovic suggests an earlier start time

Right from the start of the tournament, fans had to queue for hours due to extra security measures. Further delays were caused by the rain as well as some Just Stop Oil protesters. There have been many long days for players and fans alike, and Djokovic thinks an earlier start time may make a difference.

Matches currently start at 13:00 BST on Court One and 13:30 on Centre Court. Play continues throughout the day until 23:00, when a curfew mandates all unfinished matches to be suspended and then resumed the following day. "I think the matches could be pushed at least to start at 12:00," said Djokovic.

He then expressed his confidence that the tournament organisers will look for ways to find a solution to the scheduling problems. "I think there are different ways that I'm sure they will address this issue and try to avoid having these kind of problems in the future," Djokovic said.

Apart from Djokovic, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz are also among the top players who have had to play on consecutive days during Wimbledon this year.

According to the BBC, All England Lawn Tennis Club CEO Sally Bolton is aware of the issue, but she has not confirmed if an adjustment will be considered for next year's tournament. Apart from the start times, other factors remain unpredictable such as the weather and the length of matches, leaving the event vulnerable to the same potential problems.

Rublev may have a slight advantage

Heading into the quarter-finals, Djokovic will be doing his best to recover quickly and be on top shape for his meeting with the Russian. On the other hand, seventh seed Rublev already had a full day's rest on Monday after playing a lengthy five-setter on Sunday against Alexander Bublik.

This means that Rublev will have a slight advantage over his opponent as he aims for a major upset on his way to his first Grand Slam semi-final. He will need all the possible advantages to get past the 23-time Grand Slam champion, and an extra day of rest is most welcome.

"Novak is one of the best players on grass, the player who [in the] last couple of years almost doesn't lose on grass. In my case, nothing to say. Just to go there and to try to do, to fight, do as best as I can my job," he said.

Another men's singles semi-final berth will be up for grabs on Tuesday, which will be contested between Italian Jannik Sinner and Russian Roman Safiullin.