Swiatek and Gauff oppose the proposal to play five sets at Grand Slam tournaments.

The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has recently witnessed a wave of protests against a proposed format change by the Australian Open's Director, Craig Tiley. Tiley suggested that women's singles matches from the quarter-finals of Grand Slams onwards should be increased from three sets (best-of-three) to five sets (best-of-five) to enhance the tournament's appeal and entertainment value.

This proposal immediately met with reservations from the top stars participating in the tournament in Doha. While not outright opposed, the views of Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Amanda Anisimova all revealed concerns about the season structure and the health of the athletes.

Perspectives from top players

Iga Swiatek, former world number one, emphasizes professional quality over match length. She argues that in a fast-paced world, extending matches could make it difficult to maintain consistent professional quality. Swiatek is concerned about the rationality of the current season structure, which already has a high density of matches.

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff raised the issue from the perspective of fan experience and broadcast schedules. If both men's and women's events were played in five sets, the total duration of a Grand Slam day would skyrocket, leading to the risk of matches ending in the early morning, causing difficulties for both spectators and athletes.

Physical and traditional challenges

Amanda Anisimova was the most vocal in her reaction, calling it "a crazy change." She emphasized that the physical hurdle was the biggest obstacle: "We always play three sets. That would be a huge and very physically demanding change. I definitely prefer three sets."

Currently, the difference in the number of sets played between men (5 sets) and women (3 sets) at Grand Slam tournaments remains a long-standing characteristic of professional tennis. Craig Tiley argues that expanding the number of sets would create more tactical space and drama. However, given the feedback from key players, the likelihood of implementing this change in the near future remains a big question mark.