Novak Djokovic Disagrees With Roger Federer's 5-Set Rule Proposal

Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic does not agree with Roger Federer's suggestion that more events outside the Grand Slams should consist of five-set matches as the debate continues to heat up.

Both Djokovic and Federer are competing in the Cincinnati Masters and when the latter was asked what rule he would change in tennis following his win over Peter Gojowczyk on Tuesday, he suggested more best-of-five competition, particularly in the finals of ATP Tour events.

"I would add more best of five sets matches in finals," Federer said, as per the Express. "In Masters 1000 we have more opportunities to have five-set matches, especially at the World Finals. … On the ATP Tour we don’t have any five-set matches. I know it’s for player protection, but I feel it’s an opportunity wasted."

As of now, five-set matches only take part in the four Grand Slams, and are generally seen as a more accurate representation of a player's ability and endurance, which Federer seems to agree with.

But Djokovic feels otherwise and even believes Grand Slam events should be limited to just three sets. His reasoning, however, is based on the long term interest of the sport.

"I actually heard him [Federer] speak about it, he said best of five he would make it," Djokovic said after his win over Adrian Mannarino on Wednesday. "I am against that. I would have even Grand Slams best of three."

"This new generation of tennis fans and Millennials, they don’t have a great attention span and they want things to happen very quickly. So for the players as well and to attract more people and viewers of a younger audience we have to keep tennis matches dynamic and shorter."

The debate about five-set matches comes in the midst of the Wimbledon semifinals last month where Djokovic's win over Rafael Nadal and Kevin Anderson's win over John Isner lasted nearly a combined 12 hours.

And former No. 1 Andy Murray agreed with Djokovic from a spectator's standpoint, even if he personally enjoys playing five-set matches himself.

The Briton was a commentator for the Wimbledon quarterfinal match between Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro, which lasted four hours and 48 minutes as he reflected on the viewing experience.

"It was interesting watching it from a different perspective, and I picked things up like, 'Oh my god, this match is incredibly long'," Murray told the New York Times earlier this week. "As a player, I really like best-of-five. It's been good to me. I feel like it rewards the training and everything you put into that."

"But then, when I sat and watched the match in the commentary booth, it was an amazing match, it was a brilliant match, but it was really, really long to sit there as a spectator for the first time. That evening I had a meeting planned and I missed my dinner. People who are sitting there during the week watching that, I don't think you can plan to do that. A lot of people are going to be getting up and leaving the matches and not actually watching the whole thing. The people in the stadium loved it, but I don't think it - as well, what happened in the semifinals - is good for tennis."