Carlos Alcaraz has no interest in seeing one of tennis’ oldest traditions disappear.
Speaking ahead of his title defense at the Japan Open in Tokyo, the World No. 1 pushed back strongly against the idea of replacing best-of-five-set matches with best-of-three at the Grand Slams.
“I think the beauty of the Grand Slams are playing the best of five,” Alcaraz said. “If we take that away and play the best of three, I think we would just be killing the legacy of the Grand Slams and killing the Grand Slams.”
The subject has resurfaced after new Tennis Australia CEO Andrew Abdo recently floated the possibility that majors could eventually experiment with shorter formats in some rounds. The Australian Open subsequently made clear that five-set tennis will remain in place for 2027.
For Alcaraz, best-of-five is part of what separates the majors from everything else on the tennis calendar.
“We’ve been playing the best of five in the Grand Slams since the beginning and I think that’s what makes those tournaments different and special,” he said. “So, I wouldn’t touch anything from that.”
Alcaraz, the top seed and defending champion in Tokyo, will open his campaign Thursday afternoon against American Alex Michelsen. The match is scheduled for not before 4 p.m. local time.
The 23-year-old is bidding to become the first man to successfully defend the Japan Open title since Pete Sampras accomplished the feat in 1994.
