Alcaraz says five sets key to Grand Slam legacy, urges calendar reforms instead

Carlos Alcaraz, a world number three, believes that the best-of-five sets format should remain unchanged in Grand Slam tournaments. He argued that shortening matches could damage the legacy and special nature of these four major tournaments. Instead, Alcaraz emphasized the need for changes to the packed tour calendar, which he claimed has led to player fatigue, late-night finishes, and a season full of consecutive tournaments.

The issue gained prominence after Alcaraz's quarter-final loss at the US Open, where he lost to Ben Shelton in a match that ended at 3:33 a.m. Following the incident, players have called for measures to prevent matches from extending into the early hours. Despite some top players, like Novak Djokovic and Andrew Abdo from Tennis Australia, proposing best-of-three matches in the initial rounds of Grand Slams, Alcaraz remains firm on the importance of maintaining the current format.

He said that best-of-five sets have been a part of the Grand Slam tradition since the beginning and it is what sets these tournaments apart. Additionally, Alcaraz called for a focus on reducing the demands of the 11-month calendar, pointing to his own recent recovery from a wrist injury as an example.