Prime-ranked Aryna Sabalenka wouldn’t need girls’s tennis to maneuver to best-of-five-set matches at Grand Slam tournaments — like the boys play — fearing increased harm dangers.
“Most likely bodily I’m one of many strongest ones, so possibly it could profit me. However I believe I’m not able to play 5 units,” Sabalenka mentioned following her two-set first-round victory at Wimbledon on Monday.
“I believe it’s an excessive amount of on the lady’s physique. I believe we’re not prepared for this quantity of tennis. I believe it could enhance the quantity of accidents. So I believe this isn’t one thing I might think about.”
Girls play best-of-three units in any respect tournaments. Males play the best-of-five format at Grand Slam tournaments, and better of three elsewhere.
There’s no widespread motion for the change, however it’s an occasional speaking level — if girls’s tennis ought to transfer to finest of 5 on the later levels of the foremost tournaments.
Sabalenka was requested concerning the French Open ultimate through which Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in a five-setter that lasted 5 1/2 hours.
“For somebody watching, it’s wonderful to see 5 hours of nice tennis,” Sabalenka mentioned. “However I’m probably not jealous to remain there for 5 hours as a participant. I don’t know what number of days they wanted to get well after that loopy match.”
No. 2-ranked Coco Gauff expressed related sentiments about best-of-five units on Saturday.
“It could favor me simply from a physicality standpoint. However I do suppose it could sort of be an enormous change for the tour. I believe it could be superb simply maintaining it like how it’s,” the American mentioned.
Sabalenka beat 194th-ranked Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5 in 73 minutes on Monday.
