Novak Djokovic is still pushing for a revolution in tennis. No more marathon matches or six-game sets. He wants to shake the sport to its foundations to prevent it from being left behind by younger generations.
“We should change the format of the scoring. Not play up to six games in the set, play it up to four. Possibly no advantage, best of five sets, keep the matches within a two hours window. It’s best for everyone” the Serb told Nick Coutracos at Fanatics Fest.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion’s comments are a media bombshell, but they also reinforce a position he has held for years. The greatest player in history wants to be a revolutionary not only on the court, but off it as well.
As far back as 2016, when he was the world No. 1 and the undisputed king of the tour, Djokovic was already open to structural changes.
“One of the difficult things is that you never know how long a match is going to last or when it’s going to be played. I think I would be in favour of changes because it would make it much easier to sell the product,” he said ten years ago at the Shanghai Masters 1000.
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That time, however, he was more measured. “I’ve heard ideas about shortening sets, playing first to four games. Then you have the International Premier Tennis League, where there’s no advantage scoring, no lets and a shot clock between points. Some of those rules deserve consideration, and some don’t.”
Ten years later, his stance has hardened. Djokovic has not only endorsed most of those ideas, but also made it clear that he would fight for them regardless of how much hate he might receive.
The “Djokovic revolution” stems from the increasing demands the ATP Tour has placed on players over the past decade. A longer calendar and two-week Masters 1000 events have become the norm.
“I completely understand the players who complain about how little time they get to spend at home. I don’t like it either. I think tennis needs a major reset. The tour should rethink its formats, its rules and its calendar,” he said earlier this Wimbledon.
For Djokovic, the situation is clear: tennis must change or it will die.
When he was still leading the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), Djokovic commissioned a study that found the average tennis fan was 61 years old.
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“Young people might watch the Grand Slams, but they’re not going to sit in front of a match for four or five hours every day. Attention spans have changed, and we need to understand how today’s market works. Tour events should experiment with more dynamic formats, shorter matches and more engaging experiences for spectators,” he said.
Djokovic even suggested looking to other sports to improve the fan experience a year ago.
“We should try harder to connect with younger audiences and attract them. I want to see more entertainment. Why don’t we consider doing something between sets, like they do in the NBA or at the Super Bowl? I’d like to see more fun and entertainment in tennis, a sport that we know has been quite traditional and conservative in some respects,” he said at the 2025 Australian Open.
All of these proposals are aimed at ATP Tour events, leaving the Grand Slams untouched. For Djokovic, the sport’s four biggest tournaments should remain exactly as they are, as he considers himself a defender of “their greatness and history.”
