Multiple reasons for lack of women's tennis matches at Grand Slam tournaments questioned
Paris - Gael Monfils, a crowd favorite in France, emerged victorious against Bolivian Hugo Dellien in a five-set thriller at the Roland Garros in Paris on Tuesday. As the tournament's fifth-day headliner, Monfils will take to the Centre Court again on Thursday evening for a second-round match against Jack Draper, kicked off at 8:15 PM on Eurosport.
Despite Monfils' popularity, the lack of female representation in prime-time matches at the French Open has once again raised controversy. Since the implementation of nightplay sessions in 2019, only four of the 45 evening matches have been women's matches.
Tunisian Ons Jabeur voiced her frustration, stating, "Whoever makes these decisions, I don't think they have daughters, because I don't think they would want to treat their daughters like this." Jabeur believes several talented female players deserve to perform on the stage, citing the remarkable match between Naomi Osaka and Paola Badosa as one of them.
President of the French Tennis Federation, Gilles Moretton, has come under fire for the organization's scheduling. Critics argue that the hectic nature of women's matches, which are played over two winning sets, might leave spectators feeling dissatisfied if they end prematurely. In contrast, men's matches offer more playing time.
A significant barrier in Paris is the arrangement with a streaming service, which necessitates only one daily match aired in European prime time. This arrangement could potentially influence scheduling decisions, but it does not offer a clear explanation for the gender imbalance.
Comparisons have been made to the U.S. Open and Australian Open, which feature both men's and women's singles in their night sessions, potentially offering a model for achieving more balanced scheduling.
Whilst calls for gender-balanced representation in prime-time matches continue, Eva Lys, Germany's top player, expressed her understanding and shared the view of Ons Jabeur. "I think women deserve a few more night session spots" Lys said, acknowledging the complexity surrounding the issue.
References:
[1] ESPN, R. (2024). French Open to feature only male players in two night sessions. [online] Available at: https://www.espn.com/tennis/french-open/story/_/id/33389976/french-open-feature-only-male-players-two-night-sessions [Accessed 22 May 2025].
[2] BBC Sport. (2025). French Open: Jabeur calls for equitable scheduling. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/61530227 [Accessed 22 May 2025].
[3] Tennis World USA, A. (2024). Jabeur Criticizes Lack of Women in Night Sessions at French Open [online] Available at: https://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/player_news/25328810/jabeur-criticizes-lack-of-women-in-night-sessions-at-french-open [Accessed 22 May 2025].
[4] Reuters. (2025). Top female tennis players call for gender-balanced night sessions at French Open [online] Available at:https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/top-female-tennis-players-call-gender-balanced-night-sessions-french-open-2025-05-20/ [Accessed 22 May 2025].
Tennis fans might be disappointed to learn that, similar to the previous year, only male players have been scheduled for the two night sessions at this year's French Open, as reported by ESPN. Ons Jabeur, a German player of Tunisian descent, has expressed her frustration over this issue, urging for gender-balanced representation in prime-time matches, as reported by BBC Sport.
