Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka wouldn’t want women’s tennis to move to best-of-five-set matches at Grand Slam tournaments — like the men play — fearing higher injury risks.
“Probably physically I’m one of the strongest ones, so maybe it would benefit me. But I think I’m not ready to play five sets,” Sabalenka said following her two-set first-round victory at Wimbledon on Monday.
“I think it’s too much on the woman’s body. I think we’re not ready for this amount of tennis. I think it would increase the amount of injuries. So I think this is not something I would consider.”
Women play best-of-three sets at all tournaments. Men play the best-of-five format at Grand Slam tournaments, and best of three elsewhere.
Sabalenka was asked about the French Open final in which Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in a five-setter that lasted 5½ hours.
“For someone watching, it’s amazing to see five hours of great tennis,” Sabalenka said. “But I’m not really jealous to stay there for five hours as a player. I don’t know how many days they needed to recover after that crazy match.”
No. 2-ranked Coco Gauff expressed similar sentiments about best-of-five sets on Saturday.
“It would favor me just from a physicality standpoint. But I do think it would kind of be a big change for the tour. I think it would be fine just keeping it like how it is,” the American said.
Sabalenka beat 194th-ranked Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5 in 73 minutes on Monday.
