TOKYO : Carlos Alcaraz said Grand Slam tournaments should retain their best-of-five-set format, arguing that shortening men’s matches would diminish the tradition of tennis’s four biggest events while calling for changes to the crowded tour calendar.
Debate over player workload, late finishes and scheduling intensified at last month’s US Open after Ben Shelton ended Alcaraz’s title defence in a quarter-final that finished at 3:33 a.m.
Alcaraz has backed measures to prevent Grand Slam matches from running into the early hours but said the solution should not be to change the format of the majors.
“The beauty of the Grand Slams is playing best-of-five sets. If we take away that and play best-of-three sets, we’re killing the legacy of the Grand Slams and killing the Grand Slams,” Alcaraz told reporters at the Japan Open on Wednesday.
“We’ve been playing best-of-five sets in the Grand Slam since the very beginning, and I think that’s what makes those tournaments different and special. I wouldn’t touch anything from that and for me, it’s okay to play best-of-five.”
Novak Djokovic has previously proposed best-of-three matches in the opening rounds of Grand Slams, while Tennis Australia chief Andrew Abdo said last month that the majors could explore alternative formats or scoring systems.
The Australian Open subsequently said five-set tennis was “here to stay”, while adding that innovation remained part of the Grand Slam’s approach.
The four majors have also sought closer engagement with players through a newly formed Player Advisory Council to address concerns over welfare and compensation.
The council’s membership has not been formally announced, although media reports have said it includes players such as Djokovic, Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka. Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner are not involved.
Instead of changing Grand Slam formats, Alcaraz said tennis should focus on reducing the demands of the 11-month season.
The Spaniard missed almost five months with a wrist injury before returning at the US Open and said the packed schedule remained a concern.
“I’ve always said that it has to change,” Alcaraz said of the calendar.
“Playing a little bit less and not having that amount of tournaments in a row, week after week. So I definitely would change that.”
The Professional Tennis Players Association advocacy group’s concerns over the calendar also feature in its class-action lawsuit against tennis’s governing bodies.
The ATP did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.
ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi defended the crowded calendar last year, saying scheduling remained a choice for players and that the tour was working to provide clearer incentives around the number of matches played during the season.
