Alcaraz Defends Grand Slam Format, Calls for Reduced Tournament Schedule Instead

World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz firmly opposed proposals to reduce Grand Slam matches from best-of-five to best-of-three sets, arguing that the longer format is integral to the tournaments' legacy and identity. Rather than shortening individual matches, Alcaraz suggested the professional tennis calendar needs restructuring to reduce the overall number of tournaments players must compete in throughout the year. His comments come after Tennis Australia's new leadership suggested the possibility of modifying the Grand Slam format to appeal to younger audiences.

Tennis Australia's new leadership recently proposed modifying the Grand Slam format as a strategy to engage younger viewers, suggesting matches might not always follow the best-of-five structure throughout entire tournaments. This idea has surfaced before in different forms—Novak Djokovic previously advocated for a hybrid model with shorter matches in early rounds, while his predecessor at Tennis Australia had actually pushed the opposite direction, proposing women's matches extend to five sets.

Alcaraz's calendar concerns reflect a broader player perspective that has developed over years. The world No. 1 has consistently argued since 2024 that the relentless tournament schedule poses sustainability risks, though he distinguishes between team competitions like the Laver Cup, which he views as restorative, and the grinding succession of individual tournaments that characterize the professional circuit.