Abdo backs five-set tennis for Australian Open men
The tournament chief has ruled out drastic changes for his first Open, after drawing criticism for suggesting shorter matches in the early rounds.
Men will continue playing best-of-five-set matches at the Australian Open, tournament chief Andrew Abdo said as he outlined his approach to his first edition in charge.
Abdo backed the existing format during the tournament launch at Rod Laver Arena. His comments followed criticism of a proposal he raised at SportNXT to shorten early-round matches to best-of-three sets while retaining five sets for later rounds.
The former NRL chief executive said he would learn from colleagues rather than immediately pursue major changes. He said any alterations needed careful consideration, with the new Grand Slam Players’ Council offering a place to discuss them. Abdo takes over following Craig Tiley’s departure for the US Open.
Developing Australian players was another priority. Abdo called for increased spending on grassroots tennis and pathways, more competitive opportunities for players at home and support for those developing abroad.
Four Australian men are ranked in the top 100, with world No.9 Alex de Minaur the highest. Among the five Australian women in that group, world No.37 Talia Gibson leads. Abdo said Tennis Australia’s ambitions extended to top-10 rankings and grand slam titles.
During qualifying week, the “1 Point Slam” exhibition will feature Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka. Abdo said officials were also talking with Sinner about an early arrival for next year’s tournament.
