Aryna Sabalenka Makes Astonishing Claim About her Grand Slam Numbers if Format Gets Changed to Five Sets
The proposed five-set matches for women in Grand Slam tournaments have received mixed reactions.
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Aryna Sabalenka (Image via X/HQ Pics)
- Aryna Sabalenka believes she would have won more Grand Slam titles if women's matches were played in best-of-five sets.
- The proposal for five-set matches has received mixed reactions from players, with some expressing concerns about the physical demands.
- Elena Rybakina disagrees with Sabalenka, stating that the change would be a significant challenge for women's players both mentally and physically.
The debate surrounding the proposed rule change that would see women’s singles players compete in best-of-five sets during the latter stages of Grand Slam tournaments has continued. Aryna Sabalenka becomes the latest player to give her honest opinion about, and she believes she would have won more major titles if it were already in place.
At the Australian Open in January, former tournament director Craig Tiley, who has been appointed as CEO of the United States Tennis Association, announced after the women’s singles final that there’s a possibility women players will compete in best-of-five sets at the tournament from next season.
The proposal came after the two men’s semi-final clashes lasted more than nine hours combined, yet fans were in the stadium, wanting more brilliant performances, whereas the women’s semi-final matches were not more than four hours combined. Both men’s last four matches in Melbourne ended in five sets.
However, the consideration has been met with mixed reactions from women’s players and the tennis community. Some players have termed the idea as a good one, but they have also stressed that it doesn’t benefit women players and the viewers, as fans want shorter encounters on the court in recent years.
Sabalenka, who is the top seed and favorite at the Indian Wells Open have been away from the tour since losing to Elena Rybakina in the final of the Australian Open. The 27-year-old revealed during her press conference that she supports the proposal and that it will be to her advantage as she has what it takes to play five sets:
I feel like I would have probably more Grand Slams. Physically I’m really strong, and I’m pretty confident that my body can handle that. So let’s do it. If we were to do that eventually, I feel like I would probably have more Grand Slams. I feel like I’m physically very strong; I’m pretty sure my body could handle it, so hopefully it will happen. It would mean a lot of physical work for all players, but this is sports, and we should take care of ourselves. If we do it, I really think I would have an advantage.
Sabalenka missed the Qatar Open and the Dubai Tennis Championships because of injury. The World No.1 has only played in two tournaments this season and reached the final in both events. She has never won the Indian Wells in her career, despite finishing as runner-up in 2023 and 2025.
Elena Rybakina disagrees with Aryna Sabalenka on the five-set match debate
Elena Rybakina returns to the Indian Wells Open after retiring from her round of 16 match at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The Kazakhstan star claimed her second Grand Slam title at the Australian Open after beating Aryna Sabalenka in three sets. She’s seeking her second title of the season in the California desert.
However, she has been drawn to the debate about the proposed five-set matches in Grand Slam tournaments. The World No.3 gave her take during her press conference in Indian Wells, stressing that it will be a huge change for the women’s singles players as major events are already physically demanding:
I think it’s a huge change, to be honest, even if it’s only the second week. You start in one format, and then it gets longer, so it’s mentally also, to be ready to play so many sets if it goes to that point, I think it’s not easy. And of course, physically, then you need to understand how you’re gonna feel. Even if you have this one day in between, it might be not enough, and then in the second week sometimes you play two days in a row.
Rybakina won the Indian Wells Open in 2023 after defeating Sabalenka in the final. The 26-year-old didn’t get the needed rest after the Australian Open, as she took to the court in Doha days after lifting the Grand Slam title. Nonetheless, she reached the quarter-finals before losing to Victoria Mboko in three sets.
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