Nick Kyrgios Reignites Battle of Sexes Talk by Commenting on Women Potentially Playing Best of Five Sets

The proposed best-of-five sets for women has led to a divided opinion on tour.

Nick Kyrgios Reignites Battle of Sexes Talk by Commenting on Women Potentially Playing Best of Five Sets

Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/Tennis Time)

In Short
  • Nick Kyrgios supports the idea of women playing best-of-five sets in Grand Slam tournaments.
  • The proposal has sparked controversy among players, with some opposing the change due to the demands of longer matches.
  • Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek advocate for player privacy following a public incident at the Australian Open.

The debate on whether women players will be willing to play five-set matches in Grand Slam tournaments has become a central discourse on tour this season. Several players have voiced their opinions about the proposal, which has made it controversial. Former ATP No.13 Nick Kyrgios believes women can play five sets.

The five-set had been talked about for several years on tour, particularly after the Wimbledon Championships, where Iga Swiatek crushed Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in less than an hour. Most of the women’s ties from quarter-finals to the final were played for an average of an hour and thirty minutes, which is nowhere near the length of time men’s singles take during those stages.

Australian Open ex-Chief Craig Tiley openly made the proposal after the women’s singles matches at Melbourne had not gone past two hours and 30 minutes. While the men’s singles semi-finals averaged more than four hours and thirty minutes, viewers and fans enjoyed the heated-up display at the Rod Laver Arena.

Tiley proposed that the best of five-set would only be from the quarter-finals, which could work pretty well as there are only a few matches per day at that stage of the Grand Slam event. However, the proposal didn’t go well with several women players, including Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, who believe that matches aren’t supposed to last long on the court.

In December, Kyrgios took part in the controversial Battle of the Sexes clash against Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai. The former Wimbledon finalist defeated the World No.1 in straight sets in less than an hour and a half. Speaking to Tennishead, Kyrgios admitted that women can play best of five sets, but suggested men play best of three until the quarter-finals:

Yes, women can play best-of-five sets. But honestly, that’s not the main issue. Men could play best-of-three sets until the quarterfinals and then best-of-five. That would solve all the scheduling issues at Grand Slams, lead to more upsets, allow fans to watch more matches in a day—the list goes on.

The major challenge some women have with the five-set proposal is that they are used to best-of-three sets, and that for one to get used to the new proposal will take time and can be mentally draining for women players. However, Swiatek and Sabalenka have hinted that they will benefit from the rule and that things can change to their favor if the game gets past the normal sets.

Nick Kyrgios defends Coco Gauff’s call for players’ privacy after Australian Open incident

Coco Gauff dominated headlines in the later stages of the 2026 Australian Open. The American star, having lost to Elina Svitolina in the quarter-finals of the tournament, unleashed a match-worth of fury on her racket, smashing against the concrete floor in the corridor of the Rod Laver Arena.

Coco Gauff, Nick Kyrgios
Coco Gauff, Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/Barstool Tennis, Game, Set & Talk)

The incident went viral online and was televised, much to Gauff’s frustration. That led the World No. 3 to call for a change in the policy of Grand Slam tournaments and demand that cameras not be everywhere at the event. Nick Kyrgios has come to the French Open champion’s defense during the aforementioned interview:

Look, for the sport to grow, it needs access—but not into every inch of our lives. There needs to be spaces where we can get away, relax, and let off some steam without being crucified for it. I stand with Coco; I think she did nothing wrong. She loves the game and showed how much it meant to her—what’s the issue?

Iga Swiatek has also lent her voice to the issue, stressing that players need privacy on tour. However, other Grand Slam tournaments have yet to address the issue. The WTA has revealed that they are in discussions with the major events’ chiefs on the issue. The next Slam tournament is the Roland Garros, which starts on May 31.

Also Read: Fans Slam Journalist for Asking Carlos Alcaraz to ‘Step Up’ on Clay to Challenge Jannik Sinner- “Media is so Sold out for the Doper”