The Australian Open will become a 15-day event for the first time in 2024 in an attempt to reduce the number of late-night finishes at Melbourne Park.

After Andy Murray described his 4am finish as a farce, the tournament’s scheduling was questioned in January.

The Grand Slam has been moved to Sunday, January 14, to accommodate the new date.

Day sessions on the main courts will be scheduled for a minimum of two matches, rather than three, to reduce the risk of night sessions being delayed.

“We have listened to feedback from players and fans and are excited to provide a solution that minimises late finishes while maintaining a fair and equitable schedule on stadium courts,” said tournament director Craig Tiley.

The additional day will improve scheduling for fans and players alike, as the first round will now take place over three days instead of two.”

A 15-day tournament is also played at the French Open, while a 14-day tournament is played at Wimbledon and the US Open.

During the opening six days of past Australian Opens, Rod Laver Arena and Margaret Court Arena have each hosted five singles matches.

Two matches were scheduled for the night session starting at 7pm, and three matches were scheduled for the day session beginning at 11am.

While the minimum number of night matches will remain at two, it is hoped that reducing the minimum day schedule to two matches will prevent the night matches – for which there is separate ticketing – from finishing painfully late.

Murray’s five-set victory over Thanasi Kokkinakis in round two started at 22:20 local time and finished at 4:05am.

Following that match, the former world number one managed only three hours of sleep before exiting.