Roland Garros night slot based on what’s ‘better for spectators’, says French tennis chief

Sports

add

The president of France’s tennis federation has stepped on the land mine of the tournament’s own creation, by implying that the French Open is not placing women in the featured night session on the biggest court at Roland Garros because the men’s tournament offers “better matches.”

“The schedule is one key point on the tournament,” Gilles Moretton said Monday at Roland Garros. “Sometimes we have to think about what could be better for spectators. That’s why sometimes we have to make some choices.”

Moretton said he would not speak for tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, who is ultimately responsible for the scheduling.

For several years, those choices have almost always resulted in a men’s singles match occupying the night slot on Court Philippe-Chatrier, the main stadium. They have almost always resulted in women playing in the first two slots of the four available each day, at the start of play when crowds are more sparse.

Since the French Open introduced the night session in 2021, organizers have reserved it almost entirely for men. In 2022 and 2023, there were nine men’s matches and one women’s. In 2024, there were 11 men’s matches for the men at night and zero women’s. So far this year, it has been three for men and none for women. Four-time champion Iga Świątek and Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk played a night match in 2021, but there were no spectators because of curfews across Paris associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last year, women opened play to the largely empty stadium on the first 10 days of the tournament. They are three for three this year as well, with two successive women’s matches warming up the court for the two men’s matches later in the day. Historically, the tournament has argued that scheduling a women’s match risks leaving spectators who have paid upwards of $150 for a ticket short-changed by a brief contest.

Moretton said that tournament organizers prioritize what is best for the sport, not what is best for television.

“The main point is that the sport (is) first on the schedule. Sometimes we need to put, I mean, for the night session, we need to put the better match,” he said.

“Maybe we will have a few, I have no idea, a few female matches on the night sessions. We’ll see. Depends on the schedule, who is playing who, who will be the best match.”

Moretton insisted that organizers might “sometimes” put women in the night session, though history, both distant and recent, suggest otherwise. He did not address a follow-up question about whether the scheduling decisions might be sending a potentially damaging message to young female athletes, especially tennis players, about where they rank in the sporting culture.

France has struggled to produce quality female professionals at the same rate as male players. This year, there are twice the amount of French men in the main draw compared with French women.

“We are also delighted because of the density of the French players,” Moretton said. “We have 27 players in the main draw, 18 men and nine women. It’s good for the tournament.”

(Photo: Christophe Archambault / AFP via Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

Share on

email

Previous

trending_flat

Kyle Larson’s latest ‘Double’ gut punch leaves him uncertain about trying again

Sports

Next

Fresh off ‘surreal’ performance, Yankees and J.C. Escarra open series vs. Angels

Sports