Should women's tennis matches be played over the best of five sets?

Question

I think that if women played over five sets it would give more opportunity for the best player to win.

Also, I think that women's tennis should be as nearly as possible the same as men's, and I do not believe that women have less stamina, as opposed to physical strength, than men. And power of endurance is part of tennis ability.

P. S. Yes, it was the equality issue that motivated me to ask the question.

Answer 1

I you polled the pro women's players they would want it to remain as is . If you polled the men they would want it to be 2 out of three all the time. Three out of five is barbaric sometimes. It was hard enough to have Sampras barf on the court I do not think I want to see Hingis do it. The money in the majors is the same. Wimbledon may be a little different , but that will change. They are renaming the United States Tennis Center the Billie Jean King Center so I think women are getting their do.

Answer 2

Yes! The big assertion at the moment is that women should be paid the same prize money as men. This should only happen if both genders play the same number of sets in any given tournament.

It would be unfair and discriminatory if the female 3 set circuit enjoyed exactly the same prize money as the male 5 set circuit.

Provided both men and women play 3 or 5 set games in the same tournament, then both should enjoy equal reward.

Answer 3

No, women are not as strong as men are and the games would become very sloppy towards the end. Look at the Wimbeldon final of 2005. Davenport was exhausted after playing less than three hours, while Nadal and Federer can keep up their intesity and tenacity for 5+ hours.

Also, Sharapova will NEVER EVER EVER EVER beat Federer. She has a big serve for women and serves around 115 MPH on a good first serve. Federer relies mostly on placement and spin for his serve but can get it over 130 mph. There is no way you could make a case for a top level woman beating a top level man.

Answer 4

Ok well lets put it this way we see daily five setters that kill a man during a two week tournament and women dont have the abiity to play 3-5 five setters in a two week span especially with the way the girls are spanking balls today, but Im serious when I bring my memory back to the first female marathon where there was a clearly dyhydrated women who was stumbling a couple hundred meters to the finishline and thats what tennis is supposed to be too, I dont think so 2 of3 is just as affective in the outcome... especially with the length of points of women matches that have the ability to go on for hours with only being decided in threee sets. If girls were busting out 8-15 aces a match then maybe but they aren't....

Answer 5

If women want the same pay as men then they should play the same number of sets. No double standards or selective equality should be allowed. Asking for the same money but playing less sets is not equality - it is a double standard.

Venus Williams has said that she would be happy to play 5 sets if it was required. I think she deserved recognition for this no nonsense answer.

Answer 6

Yes, If they want the same prize money they have to do the same work. The way they come up with the prize money is how many people watch tennis and go to there games. So until more people start going to women's tennis matches i don't think they will change it. why play more if they don't get payed more. There is no point.

Answer 7

No, the muscular mass of women is not the same as that of men. Watching a fifth set in which the two competitors can barely stand on their feet would not help the game. But they do deserve more equal payment, after all women tennis is becoming more popular every year.

Answer 8

Having read all the posts on this so far I think that if the game was raised to 5 sets then the women would just have to work to build up their own stamina.

As for all the people out there who are saying that women have no stamina - you must be guys! Ever given birth???

Answer 9

Absolutely not! Without sounding like a male pig, which i most definitely am not, women's tennis should be kept within the maximum 3 sets! The truth of the matter is in a major competition, ie. a grand slam, most women tennis players woulnt be able to face the possibility of a 5 set match everyday. their bodies wouldnt b able for it.

Answer 10

I do not think that women's physical make up can withstand a 5 set tennis match. A woman's body is just not build to endure the kind of athleticism that a 5 set tennis match requires. Case in point...Justine henin-hardene's semi-final match in the US open, two to three years ago, wherein after the match she had to take IV fluids for her to be fit for the final match (which she won by the way).