Australian Open chief Craig Tiley suggests five-set matches for women at Grand Slam from 2027 - 'Something we should put on the agenda'
Published 01/02/2026 at 10:18 GMT
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Could women play five-set matches at the Australian Open from 2027? Tournament director Craig Tiley has suggested the idea could be proposed and that discussions will start with the players. Aryna Sabalenka, who lost in Saturday's women's final to Elena Rybakina, has previously said she is not in favour of a change. "It's too much on the woman's body," said the world No. 1.
Highlights: Rybakina wins maiden Australian Open title with epic victory over Sabalenka
Video credit: TNT Sports
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has floated the idea of women joining the men in playing best-of-five-set matches at the Grand Slam from next year.
Tiley has said the change could be made from the quarter-finals onwards - but only after "deep consolation" with the players.
Tiley's comments come after two classic five-set men’s semi-finals on Friday, with Carlos Alcaraz overcoming cramp to beat Alexander Zverev and then Novak Djokovic twice coming from a set down to topple two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner.
They were followed by Elena Rybakina beating Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling women’s final over three sets on Saturday.
"You can’t replicate that (men’s) semi-final day. That was amazing," Tiley told AAP.
"I’m still getting chills just thinking about it, and then you can’t replicate that final last night on the women’s side. It was unbelievable.
"One of the things I’ve been saying now is that I think there should be three out of five sets for women.
"We should look at the last few matches - the quarters and the semis and the finals - and make the women’s side three out of five.
"So it’s something we should put on the agenda and start talking to the players about it because there’s some matches in those last rounds which would have been fascinating had they been three out of five sets.
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Rybakina and Sabalenka star in best shots from thrilling Australian Open final
Video credit: TNT Sports
"Now I don’t know whether the players would want to do it or not, but it is something we need to consider on the women’s side."
The Australian Open announced in 1994 that the following year’s women’s final would be a best-of-five set match after Steffi Graf thrashed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario 6-0 6-2 in under 60 minutes to win the title.
But the idea was scrapped and women have always contested three-set matches on tour, aside from the final of the WTA Finals between 1984 to 1998, which was best-of-five sets.
"Certainly if we’re going to do it and we think it’s the right thing, we’ll definitely go in 2027," said Tiley.
"So there’s nothing in the rules stopping that from happening. But we need to do it with really deep consultation with the players."
"There are going to be people who say this is ridiculous and others who say it is a good idea. The idea is to have a discussion."
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Rybakina hoping for 'many more' Sabalenka finals after winning Australian Open title
Video credit: TNT Sports
World No. 1 Sabalenka has previously said she would not be in favour of five-set matches.
"Probably physically I'm one of the strongest ones, so maybe it would benefit me. But I think I'm not ready to play five sets," Sabalenka said at Wimbledon last year.
"I think it's too much on the woman's body. I think we're not ready for this amount of tennis. I think it would increase the amount of injuries. So I think this is not something I would consider."
Coco Gauff expressed a similar sentiment, saying: "It would favour me just from a physicality standpoint, but I do think it would kind of be a big change for the tour.
"I think it would be fine just keeping it like how it is."
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