A big talking in point in tennis over recent weeks has been the proposal that women players play best-of-five-set matches at the Grand Slam tournaments.
This idea has been floated time and again down the years, with supporters of the plan suggesting it would be the perfect way to banish the notion that women players do not deserve equal prize money as they play fewer sets than their male counterparts.
The arguments against this proposal focus around the health of female athletes and whether they would be able to play five-set matches back-to-back in Grand Slam events, with a compromise plan possibly seeing the extended format introduced for the latter stages of the major tournament.
Craig Tiley, the former CEO at Tennis Australia who recently moved to a similar role with the United States Tennis Association, is a big supporter of the players to play five-set matches in the women’s singles at Grand Slams and he believes it could happen soon.
“One of the things I’ve been saying now is that I think there should be three out of five sets for women,” Tiley told AAP.
“We should look at the last few matches – the quarters and the semis and the finals – and make the women’s side three out of five.
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“So it’s something we should put on the agenda and start talking to the players about it because there are some matches in those last rounds which would have been fascinating had they been three out of five sets.
“Now I don’t know whether the players would want to do it or not, but it is something we need to consider on the women’s side.”
This discussion will always divide opinion and in the view of former British No 1 Tim Henman, the move to make the women’s matches longer is not needed.
Henman, who has a prominent role on the organising committee at Wimbledon, spoke exclusively to Tennis365 at a Sky Sports event in London and made his position clear.
“I wouldn’t think we need to do this, from a history and tradition standpoint,” Henman told Tennis365.
“The Grand Slams are working just fine. There are a lot of other changes I’d make within this sport before I start fiddling with the Grand Slams.”
Henman then outlined where he would make changes in the modern game, as he hinted the extended ATP 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments are an issue that need to be looked at.
“The schedule needs to be looked at,” he added. “You make the schedule more relevant. I’ve said this many times before.
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“Look at the month of February. There is so much tennis going on all over the world and players are playing in Doha, Dubai, Rotterdam, Acapulco, Buenos Aires. and what does it all mean to the fans?
“I understand why the Masters 1000s have gone towards 12 days, but I don’t think it’s conducive to a good calendar for the players. So I’d definitely change the calendar and make sure all the tennis we see is relevant.”
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