For fifteen years, from 1984 to 1998, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) mandated that its season-ending championship matches be played in a grueling best-of-five-set format. By mirroring the traditional structure of men’s Grand Slam finals, the organization aimed to assert the physical endurance and professional status of female athletes on the global stage. This strategic decision was championed by legends like Martina Navratilova, who sought to dispel lingering myths regarding the stamina of women in professional sports.
A Strategic Shift for Professional Equality
The implementation of the five-set format served as a deliberate response to criticism that women’s tennis was less demanding than its male counterpart. During the 1980s, the disparity in prize money and media coverage between the men’s and women’s tours remained a contentious issue. The WTA leadership believed that by adopting a format previously reserved for men, they could prove that women were equally capable of sustained, high-intensity athletic performance.
