Alcaraz’s Win Makes It Record 30 Seeds in Australian Open Men’s 2nd Round

Carlos Alcaraz of Spain plays a backhand return to Richard Gasquet of France during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 16, 2024. Andy Wong/AP Photo

MELBOURNE, Australia—The extra-day experiment for the first round finished on time on the Australian Open’s two main courts, with Jessica Pegula converting her second match point just before midnight to conclude the program on Tuesday.

In a bid to reduce the number of late finishes, organizers extended the Australian Open to 15 days—one more than usual. It started on a Sunday for the first time, and spread the first round over three days.