Defence of the five-set format

Speaking in Tokyo ahead of his opening match at the Japan Open, Carlos Alcaraz rejected suggestions that men's Grand Slam matches should be shortened from best-of-five to best-of-three sets. The world number three, who arrived in Japan following his appearance at the Laver Cup in London, argued that the traditional five-set structure is central to the identity and legacy of the four premier championships. Alcaraz stated that enduring long physical and mental tests defines Grand Slam champions, adding that five-set matches have existed since the inception of the tournaments. The seven-time Grand Slam champion affirmed he would not alter the system, maintaining that the existing format remains proper for the sport's biggest prizes.

“The beauty of the Grand Slams is playing best-of-five sets. If we take away that and play best-of-three sets, we're killing the legacy of the Grand Slams and killing the Grand Slams.”

Record late finishes in New York

Debate surrounding match lengths gained momentum during the US Open, where Alcaraz lost in a quarter-final against Ben Shelton that concluded at 3:33 a.m. That match lasted 4 hours and 27 minutes, surpassing the previous tournament mark of 2:50 a.m. set during a 2022 quarter-final between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The tournament in New York featured multiple scheduling strains, including a 12:13 a.m. start for Sofia Kenin and Venus Williams after Novak Djokovic lost in five sets to Mariano Navone. Alexander Zverev completed two opening-round matches past 1:00 a.m., while Shelton and Denis Shapovalov finished a third-round encounter after 2:00 a.m.

Demands of the eleven-month calendar

Rather than altering Grand Slam matches, Alcaraz urged tennis administrators to reform the broader tour calendar, which runs continuously from the Australian summer in January to the Davis Cup Finals in late November. The Spaniard, who returned to competition in New York after missing four to nearly five months due to a wrist injury, pointed to consecutive tournament commitments as the primary cause of fatigue. Alcaraz indicated he intends to cut down his future schedule to avoid exhaustion. Competitors including Aryna Sabalenka and Jack Draper have voiced similar criticism regarding the eleven-month schedule, particularly opposing the extension of most Masters 1000 tournaments from one week to 12 days.

“Playing a little bit less and not having that amount of tournaments in a row, week after week. So I definitely would change that.”

Competing reform proposals across the tour

Discussions around potential modifications have produced contrasting proposals from players and governing bodies. Novak Djokovic has previously suggested adopting best-of-three sets for the early rounds of Grand Slams, while other proposals circulate around four-set formats ending in a ten-point tiebreak. Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo raised alternative scoring models during the Sport NXT conference, though the Australian Open subsequently clarified that five-set tennis remains in place ahead of further announcements for 2027. Meanwhile, the four Grand Slam tournaments have established a Player Advisory Council featuring Djokovic, Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina to address welfare concerns, with Alcaraz and Sinner not participating. Alcaraz enters the ATP 500 event in Tokyo as top seed against Alex Michelsen.