Naomi Osaka hits back at Stefanos Tsitsipas' suggestions for women's tennis

Naomi Osaka has hit back at Stefanos Tsitisipas’ suggestions women could play best-of-five set matches at Grand Slams.

While male tennis players play best-of-five matches in the major tournaments, female competitors currently play best-of-three sets.

The Greek’s comments about women playing the same length of matches came about after suggesting that as female players receive equal pay at Grand Slams, they should also play the same format as the men.

‘I don’t want to be controversial or anything,’ he said.

‘There is also the topic of equal pay and everything, women getting equal pay for playing best-of-three, then getting equal pay for playing best-of-five.

‘I don’t know… Maybe they can also play best-of-five, I guess. For Grand Slams, best-of-five, I like it.’

But his comments have seemingly come across controversial with Osaka joking she’s now going to demand he plays more sets.

‘Does he want to play nine sets? If he tries to extend mine, I’m going to extend his,’ Osaka joked in a press conference at the Miami Open.

‘This guy is so funny, man. I don’t know. I feel like that would change the structure of tennis. Like people will start doing things differently in the gym and stuff like that.

‘It will probably also take a very long time to be implemented, but also, a man is talking about a women’s sport, so I don’t think his idea is going to go through.

‘I don’t want to be rude. I’m really trying to structure this in a way that’s not like off-putting, but I think it’s like decades of hard work.

‘Up until now, women have been putting in the work. It’s not just like, oh, it’s come out of nowhere that you get paid the same.’

Both Osaka and Tsitsipas are competing at the Miami Open with the former currently into the