"As a fan, I would love to see a fourth or fifth set in a women’s final" - Kim Clijsters argues for introducing best-of-five sets in WTA Grand Slam matches

With the 2026 tennis season very much up and running, there are already so many talking points, especially on the WTA side. From Grand Slam glory, privacy among players, radical format changes and a return of a legend, four-time grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters discussed this all on the Love All Podcast, dissecting the biggest stories currently emerging.

Clijsters began by discussing the brilliance of Elena Rybakina enroute to a maiden Australian Open title. "She was just very solid throughout the entire tournament. I don’t think she lost a set until the second set of the final, which automatically gives you confidence when you walk out on Rod Laver Arena on the last day."

The cool Kazakh rarely gives away anything, keeping it firmly locked up inside. However, the Belgian believes that there is more confidence surrounding her on court. "She doesn’t show a lot of emotion anyway, but she has looked more confident recently," she analysed. "I don’t know if that comes from winning the WTA Finals at the end of last year, or from getting through her rehab, but you can see that confidence building and everything starting to fall into place. For the last few months now, it really feels like things have been clicking for her."

There was a key moment in the third set when Rybakina's coach, Vukov, urged for the world number three to bring 'more energy' to procedures. She did that and won five games on the spin in a huge sprint towards the finishing line. "You could see the connection with her coach, hearing him say, “You have to bring more energy.” And for someone like her, just a little bit extra energy on her side of the net probably feels like a lot for the opponent. That’s how she makes someone like Sabalenka feel uncomfortable on the other side."

While all of this has occurred, there will always be a dark cloud over Vukov's partnership with Rybakina due to prior events. However, since re-joining with the Croation, Rybakina's form has gone back to the imperious standards she expects.

"She was still dealing with health issues at the WTA Finals, even though she managed to get through that and win. But here, she looked happy and healthy," Clijsters said. "Obviously, this is from the outside looking in, but I also watched some of her practice sessions. Vukov doesn’t stop talking — there’s a lot of chatter.

She also found the way that she was coached to be captivating. "What I found fascinating was that in her closed practice before the final, he was actually giving her technical advice. You sometimes see that with Novak Djokovic as well, but making slight technical adjustments just a couple of hours before one of the biggest matches of your life is interesting. Every player processes things differently."

One of the hot topics from the event came from the lack of privacy players were perceived to have with cameras everywhere picking up all sorts of behind the scenes footage. The main one in focus was Coco Gauff's racket smashing incident, where she attempted to find a quiet spot behind a wall to let out some frustration. This was broadcasted and has since gone viral.

"First of all — whose cameras are these? Are they Australian Open cameras? Security cameras? Broadcast?" Clijsters queried. Blair Henley, a tennis reporter, explained that it began back in 2019 with Craig Tiley seeing it as a content stream. Clijsters went on to say how much the fans loved seeing this.

"For fans, it gives a realistic view of what life is like behind the scenes. We all walk the same hallways, share locker rooms, eat in the same restaurant. It’s not like team sports with separate locker rooms. You see your opponents all day long. So as content, I think it’s great."

However, from a tennis point of view she saw it from a different perspective. "But putting my player hat on — I’m old school. I value privacy. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed every moment being filmed. Especially the negative moments," she admitted.

"There are funny moments, sure. But something like Coco breaking a racket — I’m sure she would’ve preferred that not to be everywhere. At the same time, it shows the human side. Every player understands that feeling — losing a match where you didn’t play well, where you never really felt in it. It’s incredibly frustrating. I’ve broken a racket before. Sometimes getting that frustration out helps."

Women's tennis could be met with a different concept in the future, with best of five set matches being discussed. As well as that, the conversation to abolish the five-minute warm-up at the start of the match could occur, something Clijsters is strongly opposed to.

"I actually have more of an issue with eliminating warm-ups," she explained. "Those five minutes are important — to adjust to lighting, background, wind, temperature. Especially for night matches, your eyes need time to adjust. They also help settle nerves. You don’t always play on the same court, so getting that feel is crucial. I think those minutes matter a lot."

Going against the grain, she would be up for a best-of-five sets format in the WTA event, specifically the final. "I kind of like the idea. As a player, I think I would’ve enjoyed the physical and mental challenge. I’ve asked Andy Murray before what it’s like to shift mindset between best-of-three and best-of-five. It’s very different. It would benefit certain players — Iga Swiatek comes to mind. Her fitness and intensity would make it incredibly hard to beat her over five sets. As a fan, I would love to see a fourth or fifth set in a women’s final."

Henley argued back stating that scheduling would be more of an issue with matches most likely going way past midnight, and if it is a bad match then there is more of it to watch for the fans. Clijsters responded: "That’s fair. But from the quarterfinals on, scheduling might allow for it since there are fewer matches. If you add sets, you’d need to shorten the season or adjust mandatory events to protect players. It’s a bigger change than just adding sets."

At the age of 23 years old, Emma Raducanu has already been through nine coaches. The latest, Francisco Roig, departed the team just after the Australian Open, Their stint looked very promising, with the former US Open champion looking more settled on court, while maybe not consistently hitting the high levels necessary to clinch titles or go on deep runs.

"It’s tough. Every player is different. But coaching takes time," Clijsters said. "A red flag is when a coach comes in and changes everything immediately just to leave a footprint. Good coaches take time to understand the player."

She questioned who was the person behind these choices, whether it was Raducanu or someone else. "I’m also curious — who’s making these decisions? Emma? Her agent? Her parents? She’s worked with excellent coaches. It feels like a panic button is being pushed too quickly. It reminds me of a soccer club — a few bad games and the coach is gone. I hope she finds someone she connects with and commits to a longer-term relationship."

The rumour mill continues to go in overdrive with a possible return to tennis for Serena Williams maybe occurring. The 23-time Grand Slam champion is coming closer to the point where she can start to compete once more with her looking in very good shape after being filmed on court.

"I think the odds are higher that she does come back than not," Clijsters stated, excited at the chance that Williams may be making a return to the sport she once dominated.

"There’s been talk since the US Open. We’ve seen her hitting. She knows how to get people talking. Whether it’s doubles, the Olympics, or something else — who knows. But it would be exciting. At 44, seeing what it takes to get back to that level would be fascinating. And it would bring even more attention to women’s tennis."