On the heels of Australian Open boss Craig Tilley suggesting they want to bring in best-of-five sets for the women at the grand slam’s 2027 edition, a damning takedown of the idea from Jessica Pegula has resurfaced this week.
Pegula, who made it all the way to the 2026 semifinals before losing to eventual champion Elena Rybakina in two tight sets, has previously suggested the tennis world “doesn’t need to bring in three-out-of-five matches” for women at grand slams. That would be too long, she argued, and could become boring for average fans wanting to watch tennis.
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“I would rather the men play two-out-of-three. I don’t think we all need to start playing three-out-of-five. For me it’s too long… I personally lose interest watching the matches,” the American said after Wimbledon last season.
“I think they’re incredible matches and incredible physically and mentally. I’m, like, ‘Do we really need that?’ I don’t know. I mean, some people love it. I personally will not watch a full five-hour match. People can’t even hold their attention long enough, they say these days, with phones. How are they holding their attention for five hours? I don’t know.
“Just not my thing,” the then-world number three explained.
She added taking men down to three “would be a whole lot easier for the scheduling and TV.”
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That’s not to say Pegula even expected the ATP to listen to her three-set suggestion, though how she feels about women going up to best-of-five is certainly pertinent considering Tilley’s stance. Whether the AO does actually bring in the change — and whether other grand slam events would follow suit — is an answer we’ll only get in 2027.
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Other opinions have been clear, too: Aryna Sabalenka was brutally honest when she said she had zero interest in playing five-set matches, while Naomi Osaka has previously said she wouldn’t mind, but doesn’t see it happening.
The next Australian Open will be played in January 2027; we’ll get more answers then.
