Iga Swiatek Calls For Caution on Women Playing Five Sets at Grand Slam Tournaments

It has been just less than two weeks since Australian Open Chief Craig Tiley announced that the women’s singles might play five sets from the quarter-finals onwards next year, which has fueled a debate between players on tour. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek has noted that caution is needed before the five-set match rule is implemented.

The men’s semi-finals at the Australian Open delivered one of the most epic encounters in history, with the two matches finishing in five sets. Carlos Alcaraz defeated Alexander Zverev in over five hours at the Rod Laver Arena, before Novak Djokovic overcame Jannik Sinner in more than four hours after coming from a set down.

The excitement of such long matches was thrilling and captivating, as fans had to be awake past midnight watching Djokovic beat Sinner. However, the women’s singles didn’t produce the same level of excitement. Their matches ended in straight sets within half an hour in the semi-finals of the tournament.

The women currently play all their matches as best-of-three sets, and there have been talks that it could change by next year, following Tiley’s proposal. But since then, several players have opened up about the potential change. 18-year-old Iva Jovic and Qinwen Zheng have noted they will benefit from the change.

Meanwhile, Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula have pointed out that players ought to be consulted before the five-set rule is implemented. During Swiatek’s press conference at the Doha Open, she was asked about the proposed rule. The 24-year-old revealed that it will be beneficial for her, but it won’t make sense if women play long matches:

I think with the world right now that is kind of, like, speeding up, I don’t really think it makes sense for us to play such long matches. Especially when I think it would be tough to maintain the quality throughout the entire match. However, if you ask specifically about my game, I consider myself one of the players who are somewhat tough in coping with endurance and longer matches. I think maybe I would have some advantage.

Players in the WTA have become accustomed to short, straightforward matches in Grand Slam tournaments, with some matches ending under an hour in the opening rounds. If the rule is implemented, it might affect players physically and psychologically, as they will struggle to fit in and will likely take years to get used to it.

Coco Gauff shares her opinion about the proposed five-set matches at the Australian Open

Coco Gauff is in Doha for the Qatar Open, which is the first WTA 1000 tournament of the year. The American star is seeking to win her first title since October at the tournament and perhaps do better than she did last year. In Doha last year, she crashed out in the second round after losing to Marta Kostyuk.

However, during Gauff’s press conference, she was pressed about her opinion on the proposed five-set format in women’s singles matches at Grand Slam tournaments. The former World No.2 admitted that she’s not committed to any option but emphasized that tournaments must be consistent, playing best-of-five matches from the start and not from the quarter-finals onwards:

I mean, could I play best-of-five sets? Probably, yes. Do I want to? I mean, it’s a lot of playing. I don’t know. I feel like, from a spectator’s standpoint, it would be just too much for the men and women to play best-of-five.

Gauff opened her 2026 campaign at the United Cup, where she helped America reach the semi-finals before losing to Poland. The 21-year-old then exited the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after falling to Elina Svitolina in straight sets and then smashing her racket in the lobby.

Also Read: Jannik Sinner Reveals What He ‘Really Misses’ About Skiing and Compares It to Playing Tennis

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