Novak Djokovic doesn’t get much wrong when it comes to the sport of tennis.
The Serbian legend has won everything that’s worth winning in the game, with 24 Grand Slam titles to his name and, after the Olympics last summer, a gold medal.
Djokovic was in pretty good form at the French Open, beating Alexander Zverev in four sets, before losing in straight sets to Jannik Sinner in the semi-final.
The Italian was then beaten in a thrilling final by Carlos Alcaraz, with the Spaniard coming from two sets behind to win a match that lasted over five hours.
Everyone associated with the sport was gripped to the final, and given it went all the way to five sets, it offered a timely reminder that the format works and shouldn’t be messed with – despite what Djokovic thinks.
What Novak Djokovic said about the five-set format
For someone who simply loves playing tennis, it’s hard to fathom that Djokovic would like to play less of it.
At 38-years-old, it does make sense, but for a while, Djokovic hasn’t been particularly fond of the five-set format, which the men operate to at Grand Slam events.
In 2021, he said during a press conference: “I am more of a proponent of best-of-three sets everywhere. You ask me why. I just feel that we have enough tournaments, enough matches during the year.
“We have the longest season of all sports, any sport in the world. Tennis has the longest season from January 1 to the end of November. Literally every single week, you have a tournament somewhere.”
After the weekend, it’s fair to presume that Djokovic is badly wrong.
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz prove that five sets should stick around
Admittedly, there is a lot of tennis on the current schedule, and the players do have to pick and choose their events somewhat.
However, five sets at the Grand Slam events have long been considered the norm, with Sinner and Alcaraz dispelling any notion that they’re not good for the game at the French Open.
Had the final been a three-set affair, it would have been a pretty drab final, with Sinner taking it comfortably before Alcaraz had even had time to settle into the match.
It’s only natural that the players giving their all out on the court will want to play less tennis so that they can be at their optimum peak more often.
That said, the two top players in the men’s game have dispelled any notion that it’s bad for the game with their blockbuster final and five sets simply have to stay in place at the Grand Slam tournaments.
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