Carlos Alcarras said that the four major tennis tournaments must preserve their historical identity by continuing the “best of 5 sets” system, stressing that reducing men’s matches to 3 sets will make the major tournaments lose one of their most important features and undermine their ancient legacy, while he believes that the real solution lies in addressing the crowded competition schedule.
Recently, calls to review the match system have increased after growing concerns about the physical fatigue of players and confrontations that extend into the dawn hours, especially after the US Open last month, when a match that Alcarras lost to Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals ended at 3:33 am.
Despite his support for taking measures to limit the holding of matches at very late times, the Spanish star stressed, during his participation in the Japan Open on Wednesday, that compromising the essence of major tournaments is not the appropriate solution.
Alkaras told reporters in Tokyo: “The peculiarity of the four major tournaments is that they play in a best-of-5 set system, and if we abandon that and adopt the best-of-3 sets, we will lose part of the legacy of these tournaments and their unique character.”
He added: “This system has been in place from the beginning, which is what makes major tournaments different from others. “For me, I see no justification for changing it.”
Novak Djokovic had previously proposed the idea of adopting a best-of-3 set system in the first rounds of major tournaments, while Andrew Abdo, the new CEO of the Australian Tennis Association, indicated last month the possibility of studying different formulas or systems in the future.
This came before the Australian Open confirmed that innovation would remain part of the game’s development, but at the same time it stressed that the five-group system would remain in place, with promises to reveal more details before the 2027 edition.
In parallel with this controversy, the four major leagues are seeking to strengthen communication channels with players through the “Players Advisory Council,” which was recently established to address issues related to player safety, financial rewards, and other controversial files.
Although the major tournaments have not officially announced the names of the members, reports indicate that the council includes a number of the game's most prominent stars, including Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina, while Alkaras and world number one Jannik Sinner are absent from it.
Instead of changing the playing system in major tournaments, Alkaras believes that the priority should be to reconsider the busy schedule, which extends over approximately 11 months, especially after he was forced to stay away from the field for about 5 months this season due to a wrist injury.
He said: “I have always emphasized that this situation needs to change. “We should play a little shorter, and not have to play this many tournaments week after week.” He added: “If there is something that really deserves to change, it is the crowded schedule, not the system of the four major tournaments.”
On the other hand, the President of the Professional Players Association, Andrea Gaudense, defended the current schedule, pointing out that the number of participations remains a choice left to the players, and that the Federation is working to provide incentives that ensure balance in playing matches throughout the season.
Spaniard Jaume Munar achieved his biggest victory this season after defeating American Taylor Fritz in the Japan Open tennis tournament. Munar came from behind in the first set to beat Fritz, who won the title in 2022, with a score of 6/7, 6/4, 6/3, and Munar achieved victory in two hours and 57 minutes.
The official website of the World Association of Professional Tennis Players stated that Fritz appeared to be suffering physically throughout the match that was held this morning (Thursday), as he repeatedly bent his body between points and received medical treatment early in the second set.
With this victory, Munar achieved his first victory over Fritz in direct confrontations after three attempts. In his next match, the Spanish player will face Jaime Faria.
Earlier in the day, Faria - who qualified as a “lucky loser” - defeated Arthur Ferry, the Wimbledon semi-finalist, 6/4, 3/6, 6/4. Casper Ruud also defeated Luciano Darderi 7/6, 6/3, Hugo Homber defeated Brandon Nakashima 6/3, 6/2, and Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Thomas. Echeverry 4/6, 6/3, 6/4, and Kyrian Jacquet over Holger Rohn 6/3, 6/1.
