The ATP director drops a bombshell: "What if we bring back the Masters 1000 finals to five sets?"

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That we are in a period of transition within the world of tennis is something that no one can deny at this point. After experiencing the two brightest decades in history thanks to Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, or Serena Williams, the future is uncertain regarding references, formats, and even regulations. Andrea Gaudenzi, the current ATP president, will have to address all of this and certainly doesn't hesitate to make some changes. The two-week Masters 1000 events that started to be implemented last season are evidence of this, although not everyone is happy with the change.

The point is that Gaudenzi is determined to continue his efforts to provide tennis with all the ingredients necessary to make it a more popular sport, to engage new generations, to keep the players happy, and to encourage the media to continue supporting racquet sports. When asked how much we will miss the Big3, the response comes from a director willing to revive some traditions of the past to soften that absence. This morning, in statements collected by journalist Lorenzo Ercoli, we have learned about the latest idea crossing his mind.

"It's a topic I discussed with Roger Federer at the last edition of the Laver Cup. We both agreed that the best matches in our sport have always been played in best-of-five sets, no one questions this statement. Is there a possibility to return the Masters 1000 finals to five sets? The answer is yes, but it would have to be our decision," stated the 51-year-old Italian leader.

GAUDENZI: “I’D LIKE TO RETURN TO BEST OF 5 SET MASTERS 1000 FINALS”

“I was talking about it with Federer at the Laver Cup; the greatest matches in our sport have been played in best of five sets. Is there a possibility of going back to best of five sets for the Masters 1000… pic.twitter.com/8J39QzA8AK

— Lorenzo Ercoli (@Ladal17) November 14, 2024

AN IDEA HIGHLY WELCOMED BY FANS

I can't speak for everyone, but I can assure you that the journalism community would greatly welcome this return to the past. If they want to give value to the Masters 1000, which are, after all, the most important tournaments below the Grand Slams, perhaps the solution isn't to stretch these events to two weeks but to increase the level of difficulty of the final match, the one that determines the champion. It has always been a basic rule in our daily lives until 2008 when everything was switched to three sets to preserve the players' physical condition, especially if they had another tournament the following week.

"However, this idea couldn't be immediately imposed on the circuit... but what we can't afford in our sport is the feeling that, in 30 years, no one will remember the most important matches played in the ATP," stated Gaudenzi, concerned that the quality of the finals has not been fully exploited in recent times. "Tennis has a billion viewers, but only monetizes 1.3% in the media. The demand is there, but we need to change the sales capacity to enhance it. In other aspects, tennis gameplay and its duration are fine as they currently are," evaluated the former player.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El director de la ATP suelta la bomba: “¿Y si recuperamos las finales de Masters 1000 a cinco sets?”