Former World No.1 Andy Murray Criticizes Length of Modern Five-Set Matches, Highlights Tour Schedule Conflicts
Andy Murray, a three-time Grand Slam champion, has voiced his concern over the increasing length of five-set tennis matches, stating he now finds them too time-consuming to watch as a spectator. Once a proponent of the longer format during his active career, Murray acknowledged the appeal of extended matches for players-opportunities to reset and strategize-but noted the demands of family life make committing to such lengthy contests impractical.
murray’s comments come amid broader discussions about the congested professional tennis calendar and conflicting priorities within the sport. Historically, debates surrounding prize money, scheduling, and the number of tournaments have persisted for decades, with a basic divide between the needs of top-ranked players and those lower in the rankings. While elite competitors express concerns about overplaying, lower-ranked athletes frequently enough rely on a higher volume of matches to improve their ranking and earnings.
The former world No. 1 pointed to recent examples illustrating this disconnect: top players participating in exhibition matches while simultaneously complaining about a packed schedule, eager adoption of new events like mixed doubles at the US Open, and eagerness to compete in a newly announced Masters tournament in Saudi Arabia scheduled for 2028.Murray believes these conflicting interests make comprehensive reform unlikely without intervention from tennis governing bodies.
Throughout his career, Murray boasted a 65.8% win rate in Grand Slam five-set matches, securing 25 victories against 13 losses.
