John McEnroe’s proposed tennis rule change labelled a ‘joke’ by former top 20 player

John McEnroe proposed that Grand Slam tennis matches should use a match tie-break instead of a full fifth set when the score reaches two sets all, a suggestion prompted by late-night finishes at the US Open such as Ben Shelton's win over Carlos Alcaraz which ended at 3:33am. Former world number 14 and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Jan-Michael Gambill publicly criticized the proposal on the Inside-In Tennis Podcast, calling it a 'joke' and arguing it sells athletes short. Gambill stated he is not in favor of removing the fifth set, believing it rewards the hard work players put in during matches.