Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters has endorsed introducing best-of-five sets in women's tennis finals, highlighting how players like Iga Swiatek could excel in the longer format. Her comments follow Swiatek's dominant 2025 Wimbledon victory and come amid growing calls for change from figures like Australian Open director Craig Tiley. While some peers support the idea, others express concerns over physical demands.
Iga Swiatek's 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Amanda Anisimova in the 2025 Wimbledon final, completed in just 57 minutes, has fueled renewed discussions on adopting best-of-five sets for women's Grand Slam matches. Experts such as Laurent Rochette and Laura Robson argued that such lopsided results diminish the event's appeal, advocating for extended formats in later rounds to enhance competition.
On her Love All podcast, Kim Clijsters shared her support for the change. "I like the idea. As a player, I’d welcome a new challenge, both physical and mental. I once spoke with Andy Murray about the mentality of a best-of-five match versus a best-of-three," she said. Clijsters specifically praised Swiatek's suitability for longer matches: "It’s completely different, and many players could benefit greatly from it. Iga Swiatek comes to mind. Her fitness and intensity would make her incredibly difficult to beat in a five-set final. As a fan, I’d love to see a women’s final with four or five sets."
The debate draws on historical precedents, with the WTA Tour last using best-of-five sets in the 1998 Finals, where Martina Hingis beat Lindsay Davenport 7–5, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2. Steffi Graf secured five such titles between 1984 and 1998. Australian Open director Craig Tiley, inspired by epic men's five-set semifinals like Novak Djokovic versus Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz against Alexander Zverev at the 2026 event, proposes implementing the format for women's final three rounds starting in 2027 to showcase endurance and strategy.
Reactions among players vary. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka stated she is "not ready" for five-setters, while Danielle Collins remarked, "I feel like I’m about to go into cardiac arrest just thinking about playing three out of five." Younger talent Iva Jovic welcomed it, saying, "I like the marathon mentality." Jessica Pegula firmly opposed: "Would I want to? No," suggesting men switch to best-of-three instead. Madison Keys acknowledged capability but reluctance: "I think we’re all capable of doing it, but I don’t think I would sign up to do more."
Swiatek, known for raising issues about the demanding schedule, has not commented on Tiley's plan, leaving her position unclear as consultations proceed.
