Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz opposes shortening Grand Slam matches — Cyprus Mail
Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz, in Tokyo, Japan, stated that men’s matches at Grand Slam tournaments should retain the best-of-five-sets format. In his view, a switch to a best-of-three-sets format would harm the legacy and special status of the four major tennis tournaments.
As Cyprus Mail reports, the Spaniard spoke during the Japan Open. Alcaraz supported measures intended to prevent matches from ending in the early morning hours, but does not consider reducing the number of sets to be the right solution. He stressed that the five-set format has distinguished Grand Slam tournaments from other competitions from the outset.
Discussion after a night match
The issue of the workload on tennis players, late match finishes and the density of the calendar has been discussed more actively after last month’s US Open. Ben Shelton then defeated Alcaraz in a quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m.
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Novak Djokovic had previously proposed holding best-of-three-set matches in the early stages of Grand Slam tournaments. At the same time, Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley stated that majors could study alternative formats or scoring systems. After that, the Australian Open clarified that five-set tennis would remain part of the tournament, while additional information was promised before the 2027 competition.
Proposal to change the calendar
Instead of reviewing the Grand Slam format, Alcaraz called for reducing the workload associated with the 11-month season calendar. According to him, tennis players should play fewer tournaments consecutively, week after week. The article notes that this season Alcaraz did not play for nearly five months due to a wrist injury and returned in New York.
The four Grand Slam tournaments also created a Player Advisory Council to discuss welfare and remuneration issues with players. The council’s composition has not been officially announced, although media reported the participation of Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka. According to these reports, Alcaraz and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner are not members of the council.
