The Australian Open makes statement on whether five-set tennis is staying for the 2027 tournament

The Australian Open has confirmed that five-set tennis is “here to stay” for the 2027 tournament.

The official confirmation arrives after comments from new Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo suggesting a possible format switch.

Abdo, who recently took over from Craig Tiley, noted that “maybe we’re not playing best-of-five all the way through” the event.

But that won’t be the case for the upcoming Australian Open, which returns to the calendar in mid-January.

In a statement on X, the Australian Open posted: “While innovation is part of the AO’s DNA, five-set tennis is here to stay.

“We’ll reveal more on what’s coming to AO 2027 soon.”

Currently at all four Grand Slams, men play best-of-five sets throughout the entire draw, while women play best-of-three.

The Australian Open is the first of the four events in the calendar, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

It has indeed been known to innovate over the years, most recently introducing the 1 Point Slam, where professionals and amateurs battle it out for AUD $1million.

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Photo by David GRAY / AFP via Getty Images

Several invested parties have been weighing in on the five-set debate for some time, including players and fans.

And now Serena Williams’ former coach Rick Macci has shared his verdict, writing on X: “Most fans love the best-of-five sets. But the game has changed and every player will tell you it should be best-of-three sets.

“Players if they survive 4/5 hour matches cannot practice right, the sleep is turned upside down and most of all cannot usually be at peak performance the next match if that one goes the distance.

“And the final nail in the coffin is the eyeball test. Players are getting injured more and more and more because of the calendar and the Grand Slam format to bring breakfast, lunch and dinner if you maybe want to be the winner.”

Five-set tennis is currently on display in the ATP draw of the US Open, with two epic quarterfinals arguably showcasing the format in an extremely positive light.

Ben Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz after Frances Tiafoe knocked out Alex Michelsen, with the five-set classics showing the Australian Open why five-set tennis is a superb spectacle.