Zheng Qinwen supports the best-of-five format and believes she will benefit from it, while Wang Xinyu's match against Rybakina was hailed as the most beautiful showdown in Doha.

Since Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley introduced the possibility of a best-of-five sets format for women's matches, the current public response indicates that halting this proposal is unlikely to be simple.

Of course, the best-of-five sets format suggested by Tiley is not an exact replication of the men's matches but would be implemented starting from the quarterfinals of the women's singles at the Australian Open.

Unlike many opponents of the idea, China's top player Zheng Qinwen, after defeating former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin in the first round in Doha, expressed strong support for the potential implementation of this format.

“I'm not afraid of playing five sets.” This statement from Zheng Qinwen delighted many supporters because it not only showed her attitude towards the proposal but also indirectly confirmed her full recovery. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have given such a confident answer to such a sensitive question without hesitation.

Zheng Qinwen’s confidence in being able to compete in best-of-five matches at Grand Slams comes from her strong self-belief gained through her matches against American player Coco Gauff.

At the 2024 Riyadh year-end finals, Zheng Qinwen, who barely made it into the tournament, fought her way from the group stage all the way to the final. The final against Gauff was fiercely contested, lasting a marathon 3 hours and 4 minutes, with Zheng narrowly losing in the end.

In the 2025 Rome 1000 tournament semifinals, Zheng met Gauff again. This time their battle lasted even longer—3 hours and 32 minutes—once again ending with Gauff as the victor.

Last year’s Rome match remains widely discussed because it set the record for the longest WTA match in a single season until the end of the year, when Belinda Bencic and Anna Karolína Stárová broke it in Ningbo, China, with a 3 hour and 33 minute match.

Having endured several marathon battles like these, Zheng Qinwen now firmly believes that after recovering from injury, she can fully adapt to such a demanding format.

“I want to say that I would benefit from it, and I have always wanted to experience playing five sets, so maybe one day I will get the chance.” In Zheng’s view, if Grand Slams truly adopt the best-of-five format, it would work to her advantage.

These words from China’s top player have reignited excitement among her supporters, who boldly claim that if this format is implemented, it might become much easier for Zheng to win a Grand Slam. The reason is that this format demands high endurance and mental toughness—both of which are clear strengths of Zheng. A notable example is the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she publicly stated that even when exhausted, she could still fight for her country for three more hours.

However, implementing this plan might be quite difficult, as opponents currently outnumber supporters when discussing this format. For instance, Italian player Jasmine Paolini strongly opposes it, arguing that the female body structure makes it difficult to endure such a heavy workload; many share this view.

Some express regret that although Zheng Qinwen strongly desires this format, it seems we will have to wait indefinitely—only time will tell when or if it will happen.

Zheng Qinwen has drawn attention for her support of the best-of-five sets format in women’s Grand Slam matches, while Wang Xinyu also gained spotlight after facing new Australian Open champion Rybakina, causing a surge in online searches.

Both being tall, beautiful athletes with angelic faces and stunning figures, Wang Xinyu and Rybakina’s match was dubbed “the most beautiful showdown in Doha,” a label that greatly boosted viewers' interest.

Putting aside their appearances, the final result sparked some controversy among the public.

Although many believed Rybakina’s sweep over Wang was inevitable and only questioned how many games Wang could win, some argued not to underestimate Wang’s explosive power, citing last year’s incident with Gauff in Berlin as evidence.

During last year’s Berlin 500 tournament against Gauff, many had similarly doubted Wang’s chances, but she shocked everyone with an upset. If such an event happened before, why couldn’t it happen again this time?

This bold idea actually shifted the spotlight from Zheng Qinwen’s key match against Parks to the stunning duel between Wang Xinyu and Rybakina. Now everyone is eager to see if Rybakina will confirm predictions with a clear win or if China’s second-ranked player will cause another upset and bring a surprise!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlit River Starry Sky)