Aryna Sabalenka backs best-of-five Grand Slam proposal, Iga Swiatek against it

INDIAN WELLS – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on March 3 voiced her support for a proposal to make women’s matches best-of-five sets during the later stages of Grand Slam tournaments.

Speaking ahead of the ATP-WTA tournament in Indian Wells, the hard-hitting Sabalenka said she believed switching to five sets would benefit her game.

“Yeah, let’s do that,” the four-time Grand Slam singles champion said when asked about the idea.

“I feel like I would have probably more Grand Slams,” Sabalenka, who announced her engagement to Georgios Frangulis on March 3, added. “Physically I’m really strong and I’m pretty confident that my body can handle that.”

Craig Tiley, the former head of the Australian Open who on Feb 24 was named as the new United States Tennis Association chief, told The New York Times in an interview in February that switching to five sets from the quarter-finals onwards at Grand Slams should be discussed.

“All the research shows interest grows as the match goes on,” he said. “As a sport, we need to evolve.”

But while Sabalenka, 27, backed the move, other women players were more circumspect.

“I mean, it probably would favour me, because I’m physically up there with the best, but I mean, I probably wouldn’t want to see that happen,” reigning French Open champion and world No. 4 Coco Gauff said.

“And if it were to happen, I would prefer it to be the whole tournament, not just the quarters. I think changing the format in the middle of the tournament defeats the purpose of the playing field.”

Six-time Grand Slam champion and former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek was firmly against the idea and questioned whether the suggestion would boost audiences.

“It’s a weird approach in the world where everything is becoming faster,” said the 24-year-old Pole. “So I don’t know if the audience honestly would like that.

“Also, I don’t know if we would be able to keep the quality for five sets. Well, that’s a fact, like, men are more physically strong and they can handle it for sure better.”

Swiatek said the physical demands would also force players to adjust their schedules, potentially leading to them playing fewer tournaments.

“We have never practised in a way to prepare for that, so we would need to change, I think, our whole calendar, because the Grand Slams would be so tough that I don’t think we would have honestly time to prepare for any other tournaments,” she said.

“I think it would change a lot. I don’t think it would change anything for good.”

World No. 5 Jessica Pegula echoed Swiatek’s remarks, stating five sets were well within the physical capabilities of women but a switch could be counter-productive.

“I think we have amazing female athletes that honestly I think we could do that,” the American said. “I don’t think it’s the fact that we can’t. I just don’t necessarily think that we should.

“On that aspect, I don’t even know how you would schedule tournaments. We’d have to add weeks. We can’t even get through the schedule now. So I’m not really sure for like a fan experience how that would really work.”

Reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina added: “You start in one format and then it gets longer, so mentally, to be ready to play so many sets if it goes to that point, I think it’s not easy.

“It’s a tricky topic and me, as a player, I would say I wouldn’t want to play three out of five.”

Meanwhile, Sabalenka said she liked the idea of “rage rooms” at tournaments where players can vent their frustrations away from the cameras, but said there would be nothing left to destroy after she uses it.

Her comments came after the ATX Open in Austin, Texas launched a rage room in response to Gauff’s racket-smashing incident at the Australian Open, where the American was unaware her frustrations at losing in the quarter-finals were being broadcast worldwide. AFP, REUTERS