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Tennis Australia Proposes Dropping Best-of-Five Men’s Sets

9/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo proposed eliminating best-of-five men’s singles at Grand Slams.
He argued shorter formats and scoring changes attract younger audiences and boost commercial returns.
The Australian Open semifinals lasted over nine hours across two five-set matches, highlighting the issue.
Abdo, a former NRL chief, succeeded Craig Tiley in August, continuing leadership changes.

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Story summary

Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo proposed eliminating best-of-five men’s singles at Grand Slams.
He argued shorter formats and scoring changes attract younger audiences and boost commercial returns.
The Australian Open semifinals lasted over nine hours across two five-set matches, highlighting the issue.
Abdo, a former NRL chief, succeeded Craig Tiley in August, continuing leadership changes.