BEIJING – World No. 2 Alexander Zverev expressed strong opposition to proposals aimed at shortening men's Grand Slam matches on October 1. He emphasized the importance of the historic best-of-five format that currently defines these tournaments.
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Recently, some figures in tennis, including the Australian Open's chief executive, have suggested that early-round matches could be changed to a best-of-three sets format to help engage younger audiences. Proponents believe this would make matches more accessible, as they can last several hours when contested in five sets.
However, Zverev rejected these ideas during the China Open, stating, "It’s history," and highlighting the difficulty of winning under the existing format. He remarked, "It’s the toughest thing to win in our sport because we play best-of-five sets" and referred to it as one of the most physically demanding challenges athletes face.
Reflecting on his own experience, Zverev noted that he played two five-set matches on his way to winning the US Open, with some matches concluding past midnight. He stated, "I don’t know a single player who would like to play best-of-three sets," adding a light-hearted comment about 39-year-old Novak Djokovic's potential preference for shorter matches due to his age. Zverev quipped, "Maybe Novak wants to play best-of-three because, of course, he’s getting a bit older now. But I think if you would have asked him this 10 years ago or 15 years ago, for sure not."
Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, is still in pursuit of a record 25th title.