Incensed Criticism Leads Head Cook of French Open to Palms
Controversy persists over scheduling of women's matches at French Open
In the fifth iteration of the French Open, a longstanding debate over the scheduling of evening matches remains unresolved. The tournament director, Amélie Mauresmo, has responded defensively to criticisms surrounding the scheduling.
During a press conference in Paris, Mauresmo expressed frustration with the annual discussions about evening match scheduling, stating, "It's the same questions every year."
Since the inception of Night Sessions at Stade Roland Garros four years ago, there has been continuous debate regarding why only a negligible number of women's matches are scheduled during these primetime slots. Since 2021, there have been 47 evening matches on Court Philippe-Chatrier – of which merely four were women's matches.
Prominent tennis player Ons Jabeur was among the critics this year, expressing harsh disapproval of the scheduling. Jabeur declared, "Whoever makes this decision, I don't think they have daughters, because I don't think they would want to treat their daughters this way."
MauresmoFocusing on the fact that women's matches are only played over two winning sets, Mauresmo implied that the fast conclusion of matches could leave viewers unsatisfied. Suggestions to schedule both a women's and a men's evening match and to begin the Night Session earlier were dismissed by Mauresmo, citing a French TV contract with Amazon Prime that only allows one match at prime time. The contract reportedly places a substantial influence on the scheduling, primarily focusing on men's tennis.
Questions regarding gender discrimination and the conveying of a message that women's tennis is unworthy of prime time were brushed off by Mauresmo.
Background information: Since 2023, no women's singles matches have been scheduled during the French Open's evening sessions on the main show court – Court Philippe Chatrier. In the last six years, every single night session has featured exclusively men's singles matches[1][3]. Instead, the debate focuses on concerns regarding gender equity in scheduling, entertainment value, and best-of-set formats, with players such as Jabeur, Collins, and Gauff advocating for increased representation and equitable schedules, while organizers cite logistical challenges andTV contractsas primary obstacles[1][3][2].
[1] ESPN.com, French Open: Women's night matches 'not a statement' on value, Mauresmo says, (2023) [Accessed 26 May 2025][2] BBC.com, French Open women's matches 'backloaded' while men play prime-time, (2023) [Accessed 26 May 2025][3] The Guardian, French Open 2023: Why are women's matches only scheduled during the day?, (2023) [Accessed 26 May 2025]
Despite the continuous controversy over scheduling, the French Open persists with limited showcasing of women's tennis matches during prime-time slots, such as the Night Sessions at Stade Roland Garros. The debate remains ongoing, with tennis players and critics questioning the scheduling decisions and the perceived lack of gender equity in the tournament.
