Jessica Pegula suggested a surprise rule change to men’s Grand Slam tennis that she would endorse in the wake of her shock first-round exit to world No116 Elisabetta Cocciaretto at Wimbledon on Tuesday morning.
The number-three seed arrived at SW19 on the heels of an impressive warm-up win at Bad Homburg, where the American star beat former French Open champion Iga Swiatek in the final.
Pegula has previously gone as far as the quarter-finals in the grass-court major but in just 59 minutes was viciously despatched by the Italian in straight sets.
The 31-year-old – who is the daughter of billionaire Buffalo Bills owners Terry and Kim Pegula – cut a stunned figure in the press conference after the match, admitting that there had been little in her game to match what Cocciaretto had supplied in the soaring temperatures in the south-west London.
But when queried on whether she thought she might have been able to turn the match around were there two more sets to play with – like the men’s best-of-five format – Pegula gave an intriguing answer.
Stressing that she believed it was ‘100 per cent’ harder to ‘win two-out-of-three than three-out-of-five’ due to having more time to turn it around, she called for men to follow the same format as their WTA counterparts and increase the number of ‘upsets’ in the draw.
Jessica Pegula was downed in straight sets by Elisabetta Cocciaretto in just under one hour
The world No3 was the number-three seed at Wimbledon and previously reached the quarters
Pegula shared that the Italian world No116 was levels above her, with everything going right
‘Would I want to play three-out-of-five? No. I would rather the men play two-out-of-three,’ Pegula said with a smile. ‘I don’t think we all need to start playing three-out-of-five.
‘For me it’s too long. I personally lose interest watching the matches. I think they’re incredible matches and incredible physically and mentally. I’m, like, “Do we really need that?” I don’t know. I mean, some people love it.
‘I personally will not watch a full five-hour match. People can’t even hold their attention long enough they say these days with phones. How are they holding their attention for five hours? I don’t know. Just not my thing.’
Pegula then added the idea that in an age were television rights are a primary motivation for top-level tennis decisions, her suggestion should be considered.
‘I don’t know (if it would raise interest levels in the sport),’ she continued. ‘I know some guys are really against it. Some aren’t.
‘I think it would be a lot easier for TV, for scheduling. TV’s always talking about making everything faster and quicker, all of that stuff.
‘It’s been such a staple for the men. I find it hard to believe they’re ever going to change it. Maybe if they could also play three-out-of-five from the quarters on. I don’t know. Something like that.
‘The game’s getting so physical. I don’t know why they’d want to, you know? It’s so important to stay healthy. Like with how physical the guys are playing right now, that’s really tough three-out-of-five for two weeks. I mean, it’s crazy. It’s so impressive, but at the same time, like, does it really need to happen? I don’t know.
Carlos Alcaraz won this year’s French Open after battling back from match point against him in the third set
The 31-year-old suggested that tennis TV rights-holders would prefer faster-paced action
‘Maybe there’s something where they look at changing it for certain rounds. I think that might be interesting. I don’t know. I think that’s very far away.’
Some connected to the women’s game have argued the reverse – that female players should play best-of-five at Grand Slams or in the later rounds of majors, but world No1 Aryna Sabalenka was quick to voice her lack of interest in a change on Monday.
‘I think probably physically I’m one of the strongest ones, so maybe it would benefit me,’ Sabalenka shared. ‘But I think I’m not ready to play five sets. I think it’s too much on the woman’s body.
‘I think we’re not ready for this amount of tennis. I think it would increase amount of injuries.
‘So I think this is not something I would consider. I’ll let this thing for guys to handle.’