Novak Djokovic said Wimbledon is turning into an indoor event for players scheduled to play later in the day.
The reigning champion beat wildcard Tim van Rijthoven in four sets under the Centre Court lights on Sunday, in a match that finished at about 10.40 pm local time.
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Since the lights are connected to the roof, all the evening matches are played with the roof shut.
“I don’t see a reason why there wouldn’t be an earlier start,” Djokovic told reporters.
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“If you’re scheduled last on the Centre, you’re going to end up a match under the roof, which changes the conditions, the style of play, the way you move on the court.
“It’s more slippery. The lights. It’s really an indoor tournament in most of the cases when you’re scheduled last on Centre or Court One.”
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While much later finishes are common at the Australian and US Opens, Wimbledon was unable to host matches after dark until the retractable roof and floodlights were installed on Centre Court in 2009.
This year play was scheduled over all 14 days of the tournament, bringing an end to the tradition of a day off on the middle Sunday to allow the grass courts to recover.
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Djokovic said that while he respected the traditions of the tournament, the changes illustrated that alterations could be made to the schedule.
The top seed will take on young gun Jannik Sinner in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
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