You can call me a traditionalist, a man that simply does not like change and defends the status quo. That said, I also like it when changes are made to speed up particular games in sport.
So when Australian women’s doubles star (and current coach of Serena Williams) Rennae Stubbs of Sydney, Australia proposed a change in tennis this week, I had to listen. According to Pedro de Pablos of puntodebreak.com, Stubbs is recommending that the fifth set in men’s major matches be dropped. If a match has the players win two sets each, they go immediately to a super tiebreak at the end of the fourth set, rather than go to a fifth set to declare the winner.
Stubbs is making the suggestion after watching the five set match between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada. The Wimbledon quarterfinal battle in the gentlemen’s singles draw went five hours and 15 minutes before Djokovic won 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 7-6. Stubbs also believes that Jannik Sinner had a significant advantage in the men’s semifinal because Djokovic needed to go the full five sets.
In reviewing Stubbs’s arguments, I don’t think Sinner should have been penalized for winning his quarterfinal match against Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany. Sinner won his prior match very routinely, while Djokovic was in a significant battle.
Five set marathons are a significant part of the tennis calendar, especially at major championships. It is what makes the majors unique. I personally think they should stay.
