Kim Clijsters has made her position crystal clear: she wants no part of the scoring shake-up that Novak Djokovic has been loudly advocating for. The Belgian four-time Grand Slam champion voiced her disagreement on her Love All podcast, offering a passionate defense of the sport's traditional format.
Djokovic recently sparked debate when he proposed reducing sets to four games, eliminating advantage scoring, and capping matches at roughly two hours. He framed it as beneficial for everyone involved, but the backlash from fans and fellow players has been substantial. Critics have suggested the 24-time Grand Slam champion may be angling for changes that suit him personally in the later stages of his career.
Clijsters is firmly in the opposition camp. She described the experience of watching a four or five hour match as something truly special, noting that such battles do not come along every day. She pointed specifically to legendary clashes between players like Djokovic and Sinner, or the great Federer versus Nadal rivalries, arguing those iconic moments would lose something profound if the format no longer allowed them to unfold naturally.
While Clijsters acknowledged she understands the business case being made by broadcasters and investors who prefer predictable time slots, she described herself as proudly old school when it comes to the rules. She also drew a comparison to the introduction of on-court coaching, a change she was equally uncomfortable with at the time.
Djokovic's proposed format closely resembles the NextGen Finals model, which already uses four-game sets, no-ad scoring, a shot clock, and shorter changeovers. Whether the broader tour ever moves in that direction remains an open question.
TennisDraw users tracking both players will find this debate worth watching as tour scheduling discussions continue heading into the Slam season.
