McEnroe Gambill Clash Over Fifth Set Tie-Break Proposal

John McEnroe proposed replacing the fifth set with a match tie-break at 2-2 in Grand Slam singles matches, citing the need to avoid excessively long matches. He made this proposal at the US Open this year.

Gambill rejects idea as disrespectful to athletes

Jan-Michael Gambill dismissed McEnroe’s match tie-break suggestion. He called the idea a joke. Gambill claimed it sells athletes short. He said he is not a proponent of taking away the fifth set. Gambill shared his own struggles in long matches, recalling how he often ran out of steam in the fourth and fifth sets.

Gambill offers alternatives to prevent late finishes

Instead of changing the format, Gambill proposed practical scheduling changes. He suggested the US Open could start its night session earlier, perhaps at 6pm. His other idea was implementing a curfew like Wimbledon’s. Gambill noted Wimbledon has a hard cut-off curfew. He said a curfew in New York could be set for 1:30am. Matches stopped by such a rule could be resumed the next day.

Broader concerns about fan experience and scheduling

Gambill also argued that current session scheduling is insufficient for fans. He said having only one men’s and one women’s match per session is not enough. The debate around best-of-five set tennis is set to continue at the Australian Open next year. That tournament will be the next time players compete in the full Grand Slam format.

Influencer controversy adds context to modern tennis tensions

The format debate unfolds amid ongoing criticism of influencers at the US Open. Influencers were criticised for being too loud and using bright ring lights mid-point. The initiative was initially created to help boost the sport's profile. John McEnroe acknowledged the tournament might have wanted to bring new people into the sport via influencers. He said it cannot be helpful if influencers disturb players during big matches with filming and noise. McEnroe stated he would have been screaming to get these people out of here if he were playing. Taylor Fritz was wary of influencers disrupting matches but insisted inviting them was a net positive for the sport. Fritz argued more eyes on the sport lead to more people becoming true tennis fans. He said on a podcast that influencers are good as long as they do not use ring lights to disrupt matches. Fritz added that one needs to know how to act at a match but questioned who cares if they do not know what is going on. McEnroe also agreed with Andy Roddick's stance on Alexander Zverev's serve controversy and wanted a rule change after the US Open concluded.

The debate around best-of-five set tennis will continue at the Australian Open next year.