Lack of Female Competition Matches: Reason Explored
Unbalanced Distribution of Night Sessions at the French Open Sparks Criticism
A debate surrounding the unequal distribution of evening matches during the French Open tournament persists, with relatively few women's matches compared to men's matchups. Critics argue that this disparity is unsatisfactory, voicing concerns about the perceived undervaluing of women's matches and its implications for the sport as a whole.
Key issues surrounding the imbalance include the scheduling structure, match duration, and tradition often associated with men's games receiving more priority in night sessions.
Historically, night sessions at Roland Garros typically involve a single match, whereas other renowned tennis tournaments, such as the US Open and the Australian Open, feature multiple matches per session, including both men's and women's games. The French Tennis Federation has expressed concern over the potential brevity of women's matches, which are played in best-of-three sets, potentially leaving spectators unsatisfied due to shorter runtimes compared to men's matches.
Notably, this dynamic has not gone unnoticed by players.
Tunisian pro, Ons Jabeur, expressed her annoyance, stating, "Whoever makes the decision, I don't think he has daughters, because I don't think he would treat his daughters like this." The sentiment echoes among international competitors, with Naomi Osaka finding disappointment in a scheduled night session matchup between Jannik Sinner and Arthur Rinderknech, rather than her face-off against Paula Badosa.
The eventual scheduling of Novak Djokovic during the night session proved to be another point of contention. Despite the 24-time Grand Slam winner expressing his desire to watch the Champions League final between Paris St. Germain and Inter Milan, his preference for a day game was not taken into account.
Additionally, Casper Ruud, a two-time Paris finalist and critic of the ranking system, questioned its fairness. According to Ruud, mandatory tournaments are debilitating for injured players, as taking time off to heal could result in significant penalties and a loss of bonus earnings.
These issues highlight the need for a more balanced approach to scheduling day and night sessions, ensuring equal representation for women's matches in some of the highest-profile slots in tennis.
Tennis players, such as Ons Jabeur and Naomi Osaka, have expressed frustration about the unequal distribution of night sessions during the French Open, emphasizing the perceived undervaluing of women's matches compared to men's. The French Open, unlike other major tennis tournaments, typically schedules only one match per night session, often favoring men's games. This disparity in scheduling, coupled with the shorter duration of women's best-of-three set matches, sparks concerns about the perceived undervaluing of women's tennis.
