'I would probably have more grand slams' – Sabalenka backs best-of-five proposal

Aryna Sabalenka believes she would have won more grand slam titles if women's matches at the tournaments were changed to best-of-five sets.

Former head of the Australian Open Craig Tiler, who has now been named as the new US Tennis Association chief, recently floated the idea of extending the women’s matches at the majors.

I would probably have more grand slams Sabalenka backs best-of-five proposal

He said women could play five sets instead of three from the quarter-finals onwards, pledging to discuss the idea with other tournament organisers.

Sabalenka has four grand slam titles to her name, winning the Australian Open (2023 and 2024) and the US Open (2024 and 2025).

Overall, she has reached eight finals, finishing as the runner-up twice in Melbourne in the last two years, also doing so at the 2025 French Open and the 2023 US Open.

"Yeah, let's do that," she said when asked about the idea ahead of this week’s tournament at Indian Wells, with her campaign beginning on Friday.

"I feel like I would probably have more grand slams.

"Physically, I'm really strong, and I'm pretty confident that my body can handle that. So, let's do it."

But while Sabalenka is all for the idea, other female players are less keen, with French Open champion Coco Gauff and six-time grand slam winner Iga Swiatek among those opposed to it.

"I mean, it probably would favour me, because I'm physically up there with the best, but I mean, I probably wouldn't want to see that happen," Gauff told reporters.

"And if it were to happen, I would prefer it to be the whole tournament, not just the quarters. I think changing the format in the middle of the tournament defeats the purpose of the playing field."

Swiatek, meanwhile, questioned whether the change would affect viewing figures: "I think, honestly, it's a weird approach in the world where everything is becoming faster, you know.

"So I don't know if the audience honestly would like that.

"Also, I don't know if we would be able to keep the quality for five sets. Well, that's a fact, like, men are physically stronger, and they can handle it better, for sure.

"We have never practiced in a way to prepare for that, so we would need to change, I think, our whole calendar, because the grand slams would be so tough that I don't think we would have time to prepare for any other tournaments.

"I think it would change a lot. I don't think it would change anything for good."