“Maintaining the level would be difficult”: Rybakina doubts five-set matches for WTA

World No. 3 Elena Rybakina addressed one of the most debated ideas in the sport during her pre-tournament press conference at Indian Wells, expressing scepticism about the possibility of introducing best-of-five-set matches for women during the second week of Grand Slam tournaments. The proposal, mentioned earlier this year by new USTA chief Craig Tiley, has sparked discussion about potential format changes in women’s tennis.

Rybakina said such a shift would represent a fundamental change to the structure of the women’s game. The Kazakh player highlighted both the physical and mental demands that extended matches would place on athletes, particularly within an already demanding calendar.

“I think it’s a huge change, to be honest, even if it’s only second week,” said the two-time Grand Slam champion. “You start in one format and then it gets longer, so mentally you also need to be ready to play so many sets if it goes to that point.”

She also questioned whether maintaining a consistent level of tennis across five sets would be realistic, particularly given the physical requirements involved. For Rybakina, the issue is not only about player preparation but also about whether the format would actually improve the spectacle for fans.

“I think it’s a huge change, and I don’t think it might be interesting also for the people, because maintaining the level for so many sets is going to be quite difficult. As a player, I would say I wouldn’t want to play three out of five, to be honest.”

Away from the singles draw, Rybakina returned to the courts this Tuesday in the Eisenhower Cup Tie Break Tens exhibition, where she teamed up with Taylor Fritz to win the title for the second consecutive year, taking home the $200,000 prize. The Kazakh player described the format as a refreshing variation on traditional competition and an opportunity to experience a different dynamic on court.

“I like the format. It’s nice to play with the guys, and it’s also a good chance to try the courts. It’s still a competition, so you want to win,” said the 26-year-old player during the press conference. “We both play quite aggressive and we both have big serves. Taylor also knows the guys very well, so he gives me advice on returning their serves. It’s just fun competition.”

On their way to the final they defeated the Italian duo of Jasmine Paolini and Matteo Berrettini, as well as the pair of Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud — who reunited again after playing together previously at the US Open, where they finished as runners-up. In the final, Rybakina and Fritz defeated the local pair of Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien (10–7).

Rybakina arrives in California after a challenging stretch in February that forced her to retire during the Dubai tournament. The 24-year-old explained that illness disrupted her schedule following the Australian Open, making it difficult to maintain her rhythm during the Middle East swing.

Despite the setback, Rybakina said she has regained her physical condition after taking several days off to recover. The break allowed her to resume training and rebuild momentum ahead of the first WTA 1000 event of the American hard-court swing. “It was a tough schedule after Australia. I wanted to keep playing, but then I got sick in between, so it was not easy to keep going.”

The Kazakh star enjoyed a strong start to the season in Melbourne, where she captured the Australian Open title earlier this year. That victory marked one of the most significant achievements of her career, adding to her growing list of major results and reinforcing her position among the top contenders on the WTA Tour. “After that I took some days off and started my preparation again. Now I’m feeling good, and hopefully I can play well here,” she concluded.