Ben Shelton was left visibly frustrated on Thursday evening after his second-round match at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships was suspended due to the tournament’s curfew, just as he was preparing to serve for the win. The 22-year-old American, seeded No. 10, was leading Australia’s Rinky Hijikata 6-2, 7-5, 5-4 when play was halted at 9:29 p.m. local time due to fading light.
The match, held on Court No. 2—which lacks a roof and artificial lighting—had already seen both players raise concerns about visibility earlier in the evening. Despite those warnings, officials instructed them to continue. Shelton had even requested a suspension at the end of the second set, but the umpire declined. Ironically, just as Shelton was about to serve for the match, the decision was reversed and play was stopped.
Shelton’s frustration was evident as he argued with the chair umpire and gestured toward the crowd, which responded with boos and chants of “one more game.” The American had just missed three match points in the previous game, allowing Hijikata to hold serve and extend the set. The abrupt halt meant Shelton would have to return the next day to try and close out the match.
The curfew at Wimbledon, which prevents play from continuing past 11 p.m., was introduced in 2009 as part of an agreement with local authorities and residents. While intended to respect the surrounding community and ensure safe transportation for fans, the rule has drawn criticism for disrupting matches at pivotal moments.
Shelton later posted a short message on Instagram: “They ain’t wanna see anything else from me tonight but I’ll see y’all tomorrow,” capturing both his disappointment and determination.
The match is scheduled to resume Friday, with Shelton needing just one more game to advance to the third round. His reaction, and the crowd’s response, have reignited debate over whether Wimbledon’s curfew policy needs to be reconsidered in light of modern scheduling and player welfare.
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Shelton in Wimbledon, ranking, and results in 2025
25 – 16win/loss
10
High
10
22 year old
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Ranked no.10 (career-high), Ben achieved a composed 20-14 win-loss record in 2025. The American is now competing in Wimbledon where he defeated the world no.179 Alex Bolt 6-4 7-6(1) 7-6.
Ben Shelton will take on the world no.87 Rinky Hijikata in the 2nd round on Thursday at 6:00 pm on Court 2. Their current record is 2-1 for Shelton.
The American reached the final in Munich (BMW Open).
