Coco Gauff’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, recently weighed in on the take regarding the format of ATP Masters 1000 tournament finals, specifically the idea of reverting to a best-of-five set match format. His comments came in after Rennae Stubbs criticised John Millman, who proposed the revival of this format.
Until 2007, most Masters finals were contested as best-of-five matches. However, starting in 2008, all title clashes transitioned to a best-of-three format.
Coco Gauff’s Ex-Coach Brad Gilbert Shares Different Opinion Than Rennae Stubbs, Wants ATP Masters Finals To Be Best-of-Five
The men’s singles final at the Italian Open, which will feature Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, will be played as a best-of-three set match. This matchup between the World No. 1 and World No. 3 prompted former Australian tennis player John Millman to express his opinion on social media, advocating for a return to the best-of-five set format for ATP Masters finals.
“Men’s Masters finals should go back to Bo5,” Millman posted.
Millman’s perspective, however, faced criticism from Rennae Stubbs, who argued that players already participate in numerous tournaments throughout the year and should not be subjected to additional pressure.
“No no no no no no! They play enough already John. They’re already beating each other up, they’re playing 20+ ball rally’s and then trying to be ready for a tournament in a week. I LOVE a 2 1/2 final or 3 hours match, esp if Alcaraz and Sinner player at their best. It’s enough,” Stubbs posted on X.
No no no no no no! They play enough already John. They’re already beating each other up, they’re playing 20+ ball rally’s and then trying to be ready for a tournament in a week. I LOVE a 2 1/2 final or 3 hours match, esp if Alcaraz and Sinner player at their best. It’s enough.
— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs)
In contrast, Brad Gilbert supported Millman’s viewpoint, asserting that a tournament lasting two weeks, followed by a break for the players, warrants a best-of-five set match in the final.
“Especially for 2 week events that you have days off afterwards and 1000% the yearend championships final should definitely 💯 be B05,” Gilbert posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Especially for 2 week events that you have days off afterwards and 1000% the yearend championships final should definitely 💯 be B05
— Brad Gilbert (@bgtennisnation)
Novak Djokovic Played the Last ATP Masters Best-of-Five Match in 2007
The last ATP Masters 1000 best-of-five match took place during the final of the 2007 Miami Open, which was played between Novak Djokovic and Guillermo Cañas.
Djokovic entered the Masters 1000 tournament as the 10th seed and began his run at the event in the second round after receiving a first-round bye. He defeated Daniele Bracciali with a score of 7-6(4), 6-4 in his opening match, He then went on to secure a 6-4, 6-1 win over Michaël Llodra, and a 6-0, 6-3 win over qualifier Feliciano López in the third and fourth rounds, respectively to move to the quarterfinals.
Here, the Serb triumphed over second seed Rafael Nadal, winning 6-3, 6-4. He then eliminated 12th seed Andy Murray with a score line of 6-1, 6-0 to advance to the final.
In the championship match, Djokovic faced off against qualifier Guillermo Cañas, winning with a score line of 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to claim his first Masters title. The former World No. 1 then went on to win five more Miami Open titles and has claimed a total of 40 Masters titles to date.
