ATP director reveals discussions with Roger Federer about a potential return of five-set Masters 1000 finals

Roger Federer was part of many five set Masters 1000 finals before the rules got changed in 2007, including the memorable 2006 Rome final.

ATP director reveals discussions with Roger Federer about a potential return of five-set Masters 1000 finals

Roger Federer (Image via Imago)

ATP director Andrea Gaudenzi has revealed that he is open to bringing back the five-set format for Masters 1000 finals. He mentioned that he has discussed this potential change with Roger Federer.

The rule of five-set finals in Masters 1000 tournaments was in place until 2007. After that, all Masters 1000 finals, as well as the ATP Finals, were changed to best-of-three sets.

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I would like to return to the five-set format in the Masters 1000 finals. I spoke about it with Federer at the Laver Cup: the greatest matches in our sport have been played in the best of five sets. Is it possible to return to the best of five sets for the Masters 1000 finals? Yes, that would be our decision. Not right away, but we cannot have a sport where, in 30 years, no one remembers the most important matches. Tennis has a billion viewers, but it only monetizes 1.3% of that in the media. The demand is there, but the sales capacity to improve it is lacking. But the game of tennis and its duration are very good as they are.

Andrea Gaudenzi said in a statement

Federer has had many memorable five-set matches outside of the Grand Slams. In Masters 1000 events, he played a memorable five-set final against Rafael Nadal in Rome in 2006.

In the ATP Finals, four of his six titles came in five-set finals. He also famously lost a five-set final at the Tennis Masters Cup in 2005 to David Nalbandian.

Roger Federer’s history at the ATP Finals

Roger Federer is one of tennis’s greatest players. The Swiss star also had a big impact on the Nitto ATP Finals.

Roger Federer
Roger Federer (via X)

Federer holds the record for most match wins at the event. He won 59 matches with a 59-17 record over 17 appearances. Only Novak Djokovic, who has won the event seven times, has more than 40 wins, with a 50-18 record.

Federer reached the semi-finals or better in 16 of his 17 appearances, missing out only once, in 2008. Besides his six titles, he also made it to four additional finals. Federer qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals a record 18 times. His first appearance was in 2002 at age 21, where he reached the semi-finals, and his last qualification was in 2020, at age 39.