Wimbledon fans shoot down world's richest tennis player after rant at SW19

It has not been the best Wimbledon fortnight for Jessica Pegula. Not only did the world No.3 lose in the first round to the unseeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto, but she's now been overwhelmingly shot down by tennis fans.

During her brief stay at SW19, Pegula addressed the issue of male players competing over five sets at the professional level. She called for a reduction in the length of their matches, arguing the current format was tedious. Speaking after her defeat to the Italian, she said: "For me it's too long.

"I personally lose interest in watching the matches. I mean, some people love it, but I will not watch a full five-hour match. People can't even hold their attention long enough, they say these days, with phones."

Pegula also argued that shortened clashes would increase the number of upset wins at Grand Slam events. The comments of the 31-year-old, whose family boasts a net worth of £5.5billion, sparked debate among fans and pundits.

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However, an Express Sport poll has shown that few agree with the 2024 US Open finalist. More than 9,000 readers voted, but only 15 per cent (around 1350 people) supported Pegula's views.

A huge 85 per cent (around 7650) favoured keeping the best-of-five format. The message to the American, who has also been vocal on the issue of equal pay in tennis, appeared loud and clear.

There was a brief period in the 1970s when some of the early men's rounds of the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open were played as best-of-three sets. However, by 1979, all Grand Slam tournaments were exclusively best-of-five again.

The introduction of the final set tie-breaker has curtailed the prospect of the contest lasting too long. The most famous example at Wimbledon came in 2010, when John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played for 11 hours and five minutes.

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