Emma Raducanu provided the drama 12 months ago – now more late-night thrills and spills are in store

After Rory McIlroy’s FedEx Cup magic, the attention of sleep-deprived fans in the UK turns to the British teenager’s US Open title defence, writes Jack Rathborn

Emma Raducanu in a practice session at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center (Getty)

It was past 10pm on Sunday night in the UK when Rory McIlroy drained a glorious putt on the 15th hole at East Lake Golf Club on the outskirts of Atlanta. The birdie maintained a one-stroke lead and provided a bolt of energy to anybody clasping the remote in hope of an early night as the Northern Irishman marched towards a third FedEx Cup title and the $18m (£15.4m) jackpot.

As McIlroy dazzled, Scottie Scheffler, who had pulled on the green jacket less than five months earlier nearby in Georgia to become the Masters champion, stumbled. A tour under siege from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and yet, when it needed it most, the season-ending finale delivered fireworks. Enough to reward the loyalty of those staying up on the other side of the pond, eagerly expecting a rare shot of the sport at its purest amid the unsavoury bickering and courtroom antics prompted by this civil war.

But Sunday night was just another example of the dilemma sports fans routinely face, while it is another example of the challenges facing the media to cover sport around the clock.

Some fans could easily justify a one-off: the final round of a golf tournament perhaps, or Leon Edwards’s sensational UFC world title win over Kamaru Usman in the early hours of Sunday morning just eight days ago in Las Vegas. But tonight is the first test posed by a feast of tennis across a fortnight at the US Open in Flushing Meadows.

And unlike long stretches in the sport’s past, this is a grand slam that could reward those tuning in for the first or second-round matches.

There is the vulnerability of the top seeds and essential viewing as Serena Williams and Andy Murray savour perhaps their last remaining grand slam matches. With Murray, especially, there have been occasions when fans have written off his chances mid-match only for the Scot to rally late into the New York night, as he did in his maiden grand slam triumph in 2012. It naturally provides the prospect of even greater surprise for those who tune in for the first set or two.

In turn, there will be those who wake up early, immediately swiping at their phones for the overnight results and US Open storylines from the Big Apple.

Emma Raducanu provided late drama 12 months ago under the bright lights and more thrills and spills are in store in the final slam of the calendar year.

Sport is naturally more appealing when scheduled in prime time, but the overnight action from the United States certainly brings its own intrigue amid the peace and quiet late at night. An exclusive club, if you will, tends to furiously debate online the events unfolding in the early hours, while breakfast allows fresh focus and insight. A story can therefore develop faster, despite merely hours since its conclusion.

It promises to be a gripping two weeks, and while there will be plenty of mid-afternoon action to enjoy, the main events will test the resolve of fans from this part of the world. Some may not consider it to be a choice, more a lifestyle.

Yours,

Jack Rathborn

Assistant sports editor