On Feb. 1, 730,000 viewers tuned in to ESPN to watch the men’s Australian Open Final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. However, only 430,000 watched the women’s final between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina. Why was there such a discrepancy in viewership? One of the reasons was because the world awaited a possible five-set showdown from the men, while the women could only offer three sets.
Currently, the tennis Grand Slams feature five-set matches for the men’s tournament and three-set matches for the women’s. Between 1891 and 1901, women played five sets in the finals of the US National Championships, which was unusual compared to other tournaments where women played only three sets. However, after the 1901 finals, the all-male board of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association (USNLTA) determined that women were physically unfit to play matches of this format. Many female players spoke against the decision, such as Elisabeth Moore, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. In 1984, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) adopted a five-set format again for its finals to help prove that women deserved the same amount of prize money as men because they could play the same length. In 1998, the WTA changed the format back to three-set. However, it’s not 1901 or 1995 anymore. 2026 should bring back the five-set format permanently.
Both male and female players are now paid equally at the Grand Slams, with Wimbledon being the last to equalize pay in 2007. Changing the format to best-of-five-sets for women’s tennis to be the same as men’s would justify equal pay for both men and women against the long-standing argument that women play shorter matches. Professional coach Patrick Mouratoglou said, “Women can play five sets, and that would end the prize money equality debate.”
Changing the format for women’s tennis would also increase viewership. In the 2023 and 2024 Roland Garros, not a single women’s match was scheduled for the prime night-time session. French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo stated that the women’s shorter matches don’t match the value of the tickets the audience pays for. Coco Gauff and other players spoke out against this unfair scheduling at Roland Garros as women did not get the same prime-time slots as men. Switching to a five-set format would provide justification for prime-time showing, addressing both the directors’ and the players’ viewership concerns.
Finally, this new format would allow women to further showcase their skills. In 2023, 12-time Grand Slam champion Billie Jean King suggested that switching the format of women’s tennis would allow the audience to see the talent, intensity, and endurance women’s players could provide. According to Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley, “There’s some matches in those last rounds (of the 2026 Australian Open tournament) which would have been fascinating had they been three out of five sets.”
Some may share the same concerns as the 1901 USNLTA about women’s physical ability to play five sets, questioning their capability for such a switch. However, female athletes can compete at the same extent as males, as seen in marathons, where Ruth Chepngetich holds the women’s world record time of just nine minutes more than the men’s world record. If women get the opportunity to consistently train for and play longer matches, they will prove that they are capable of providing the same physically demanding matches that men do.
Gradually switching to a five-set format for women’s tennis is necessary as seen through the debates and demands of the players and officials. Instead of questioning their capabilities, female players should be allowed to showcase their ability. Equality through pay won’t be enough until women achieve equality through play.
Fryashti Mishra can be reached at [email protected].
