Swiatek demands equal treatment as French Open schedule sparks debate

The Hindu

a day ago

Amid criticism of the French Open's scheduling decisions, Iga Swiatek pointed to the Mexican waves rippling around Court Suzanne Lenglen during her compelling match against Jaqueline Cristian as evidence of women's tennis's entertainment value.
The claycourt major features only one match daily during the primetime evening session that begins after 8.15 p.m. local time (18.15 GMT), but has so far not featured a women's match in that slot in the opening six days of action.
The last time a women's singles match was played under the lights of Court Philippe Chatrier was the fourth-round meeting between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens on June 4, 2023.
Defending women's champion Swiatek, who overcame Cristian of Romania 6-2, 7-5, said she usually adjusts to the schedule she is given but added that it should be 'equal'.
'Women's matches can be entertainment the same way (as men's matches). As you could see today on my match, they (fans) were doing the Mexican waves and everything. So people like it,' Swiatek told reporters. 'We can put on a nice show. That's why I think it should be equal. That's it.'
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Women's governing body the WTA told Reuters via email it encourages all combined tournaments to provide a balanced match schedule that showcases the best of both women's and men's tennis in premium scheduling slots.
Three-times Grand Slam runner-up Ons Jabeur reignited a debate that has raged since night sessions were introduced at Roland Garros four years ago, saying this week that women's matches were being sidelined.
The Tunisian added in a post on X on Friday that 'honouring one side of the sport shouldn't mean ignoring the other'.
Night sessions are exclusively broadcast by Amazon's Prime service in France.
French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo said that women's matches, played over a maximum of three sets as opposed to the five on the men's side, could finish 'really fast' and having an extra match in that slot was unfeasible.
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'If we have two matches in the night session it doesn't work in terms of how late players are going to finish,' said Mauresmo in a press conference on Friday, explaining that earlier starts would not work as well.
'The stands are going to be empty in most of the first match. That's what we think. So we keep this one match in the evening. It's not ideal.
'We cannot check every box because we have many things to think when we're making these choices.'
Mauresmo, who won two Grand Slam singles titles, said that the French Open scheduling was not a reflection of its attitude towards women's players.
'For me, the message is not changing, and it has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night,' she said. 'It's never been this. I'll not accept that you carry this message. That's clear to me.'