Juan Carlos Ferrero expects tennis to shorten Grand Slam matches

Former world number one and current tennis coach Juan Carlos Ferrero expects tennis authorities to eventually shorten Grand Slam matches to three sets, pointing to player health and prior format changes across the ATP tour as primary drivers for the shift. In an interview with Marca, Ferrero stated that while moving away from traditional five-set encounters at major tournaments would eliminate a core element that separates Slams from other events, the physical demands placed on modern players make the change inevitable over time.

Format Shifts Across the ATP Tour

Grand Slam tournaments represent the last major stronghold of best-of-five-set tennis in the professional men’s game. ATP Masters 1000 tournaments and ATP 500 events previously abandoned best-of-five finals in favor of standard best-of-three matches. Ferrero noted that this historical progression suggests major tournaments will follow the same path eventually, though he could not specify an exact timeline for the transition.

Juan Carlos Ferrero expects tennis to shorten Grand Slam matches

The debate over match length mirrors other structural controversies in professional tennis. Ferrero drew a direct comparison to the significant modifications made to the Davis Cup format in recent years, which drew heavy criticism from players and traditionalists alike upon implementation. Despite initial pushback from competitors accustomed to traditional structures, tour officials proceeded with those schedule alterations.

Player Health and Heavy Calendars

Physical preservation drives the argument for shorter matches from a coaching and athletic perspective. Top-tier competitors, including Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, have repeatedly voiced concerns in recent seasons regarding demanding tournament schedules and inadequate recovery windows between mandatory events. Ferrero emphasized that reducing overall court time remains vital for the long-term careers of athletes enduring grueling annual calendars.

ATP events continue exploring various experimental rules to manage player fatigue and match durations. At the Next Gen ATP Finals, organizers have tested alternative scoring variants, including shortened sets consisting of four games instead of six. While Grand Slam organizers have not announced formal plans to alter major match formats, discussions surrounding workload management persist among athletes, coaches, and governing bodies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What tournaments still use best-of-five-set matches? Men’s singles matches at the four Grand Slam tournaments—the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open—continue to utilize the best-of-five-set format. All other regular ATP Tour events, Masters 1000 tournaments, and tour finals employ best-of-three sets.

Which players have raised concerns about the tennis calendar? Competitors such as Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev have publicly criticized the volume of mandatory tournaments and the short recovery times allowed between competitions in recent years.

What alternative scoring formats are currently being tested? The ATP has experimented with shortened sets—specifically playing sets to four games instead of the traditional six—at developmental showcases such as the Next Gen ATP Finals.