Novak Djokovic has sparked debate after proposing a radical change to tennis scoring. The 24-time Grand Slam champion backs a fast-four format, where sets are played to four games instead of six, with a tiebreak at 3-3 and no-Advantage scoring at deuce, speeding up matches.
Fonseca's cheeky response
Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca, who stunned Djokovic at the French Open earlier this year, joked that the 39-year-old's age and physicality might be behind the suggestion. "He's getting older," Fonseca laughed.
Fonseca, now world No. 27, won the Next Gen ATP Finals in 2024, which uses fast-four scoring. He enjoyed the format but wouldn't want it at regular tour events. "Well, I had a good time playing four-game sets in the Next Gen. So I can't complain about it. But I think he's saying that because of his physique, you know. He's getting older. Well, that's what I can say," the two-time title winner said.
Classic tennis vs. innovation
Fonseca emphasized the importance of tradition. "I mean, I don't say bad things or good things, but I know it's more about the classic tennis, the history of tennis and the tennis being six games during the sets, it's important. I think it's classic tennis. It's the history of tennis. So, yeah. But I can't complain because I had good results with it."
Djokovic's rationale
Djokovic, asked by podcaster Nick Koutrakos for an opinion he'd "die on a hill for," declared: "We should change the format of the scoring. Not play up to six games in a set, play it up to four. Possibly no-Ad. Best-of-five sets. Keep the matches within a two-hour window. It's best for everyone."
Despite his push for shorter matches, Djokovic remains capable of marathon wins. He beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in the longest Wimbledon quarter-final in history last month, lasting five hours and 15 minutes, and shocked Jannik Sinner in a four-hour Australian Open semi-final in January, finishing at 1.30am local time.
