Top WTA tennis players have spoken out about the idea of holding five-set matches in the final stages of Grand Slam tournaments. The athletes are quoted by Reuters and Eurosport.
In early February 2026, Australian Open 2026 director Craig Tiley proposed increasing the number of sets in women's Grand Slam matches, starting in the quarterfinals, from three to five. Tiley has since become the new chairman of the United States Tennis Association, which organizes the US Open, which could make the idea of increasing the number of sets more realistic.
“If we decide to do it and we think it's right, we will definitely implement this idea in 2027. There is nothing in the rules that would prohibit this from happening. But we have to do it in close consultation with the players,” Tiley noted.
At a press conference in Indian Wells, top WTA tennis players discussed this idea.
World number five Jessica Pegula, who heads a council to reform the busy WTA calendar, believes women should not change the format of matches. The tennis player cites “distracted” fan attention, organizational problems and the intensity of five-set matches that drag on.
World number two Iga Swiatek, who has won six Grand Slam titles, echoed Pegula's sentiment, saying she didn't understand why matches should be extended in an era where viewership is dwindling. The Polish tennis player also added that the quality of matches could deteriorate due to players' fatigue.
“It's a strange approach in a world where everything is getting faster, so I don't know if the audience will really like it. I don't know if we can maintain the quality for five sets. Men are physically stronger and can handle it better,” said Swiontek.
“Also, we've never trained in a way that would prepare us for this, so we'll have to change the whole calendar because the Grand Slams will be so difficult that I don't think we'll have time to prepare for other tournaments,” the world number two added.