Former British tennis star John Lloyd has called on the ATP to reduce men's Grand Slam matches to best of three sets. It comes amid ongoing suggestions that the hectic tour schedule is negatively impacting players and forcing them to miss tournaments.
Carlos Alcaraz has been the big casualty this year, with the Australian Open champion having sat out the recent French Open. His injury woes also mean he will be out for the upcoming Wimbledon Championship, as the effects of elite-level tennis begin to take their toll.
Lloyd's Call for Change
Lloyd is adamant that the solution is to reduce the number of sets the men play at Grand Slams, insisting the best-of-five rule is harming them physically. Commenting on the BBC's Queen's coverage, the former world No. 23 remarked: "In my opinion, the calendar is awful. It has been for years. I think Grand Slams should be best of three sets anyway. I have said that for years. All the way through, or certainly from the quarter-finals. I have been saying this for years."
"We are going to see more and more injuries, mark my words, unless something is changed. It will happen, there will be more injuries. The best of five sets for four Slams, it is not just the playing at the tournament that does it, it is the preparation," Lloyd added.
Impact of Best of Five
To win a Grand Slam, players have to come through seven matches, and in a lot of those contests, they will be playing at least one more match than they would do during a regular Tour event. Across the course of a Slam, that can add up to just under three extra matches, while during an entire year, it could represent a couple of tournaments worth.
Continuing with his assessment, Lloyd said: "In our day, the best of five in my day is the equivalent of the best of three sets now. The physicality of the players is night and day to what it was in my day. We have to change this. We will get more injuries unless something is done."
"Best of five sets, when players have to come out from the starting point, every match will be dynamic. People remember great matches, but they remember them because they were at Slams. Not because it is five hours, a three-hour match will be remembered as much if they are at the Slams," he concluded.
