Grand Slam finalist champions women's tennis amid French Open controversy

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur has penned a passionate message about women's tennis, as the row about the scheduling of the women's matches at the French Open continues
Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur has taken to social media with a powerful message championing women's tennis, following the French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo's defence of the event's scheduling that favoured men for primetime evening slots.
Jabeur's post came after Mauresmo rebuffed criticism that her decisions implied women and girls were not "worthy" of headline status. The two-time Grand Slam finalist expressed her admiration for her fellow female athletes and criticised those who undervalue women's tennis, reports the Express.
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Jabeur began her statement by addressing the repeated narrative that women's sports do not attract viewers or evoke interest: "A lot of amazing athletes have been told the same things over and over. That no one watches. That no one cares. That women's sport doesn't 'move people'," she wrote.
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She went on to highlight the double standards in how women's performances are perceived compared to their male counterparts: "Judgement comes quickly often from those who've never even watched a full match. One empty stadium is held up as proof. The packed ones? Conveniently ignored. A missed shot becomes a headline. The hundreds of brilliant ones? Forgotten."
Jabeur continued to emphasise the resilience and dedication of female tennis players despite the challenges they face: "Still, they show up. Still, they compete. Still, they carry a sport forward on their shoulders. When a woman wins 6-0 6-0, it's called boring. Too easy. When a man does it? That's 'dominance' 'strength' 'unstoppable'.
"When women play with power, they're told they 'play like men'. As if strength, speed, or aggression don't belong in a women's game. If they celebrate, they're dramatic. If they don't, they're cold. Too emotional. Too distant. Too loud. Too quiet. Too much. Never just right. And yet the game keeps rising."
In honour of her competitors, Jabeur added: " Coco Gauff leads with fearless belief. Aryna Sabalenka strikes with unmatched power. Iga Swiatek dominates with calm and precision. Jessica Pegula brings relentless consistency. Paula Badosa fights through every storm. Mirra Andreeva breaks through, young and fearless. Jasmine Paolini lights up the court with fire and courage. Elena Rybakina is composed and lethal. Naomi Osaka opened up about the battles off the court and kept showing up.
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"Venus and Serena Williams broke barriers and then broke records. The game is full of stories. Of greatness. Of fight. Of grace under pressure. And still many choose not to look. Not to listen. Not to care. But belief is not a requirement. Permission is not necessary. Respect may be delayed but progress isn't waiting. So when headlines say 'no one watches', remember: full stands were never part of their narrative.
"When the narrative says 'too easy' look closer: it took years to win that fast. And when someone says women don't play with power, watch again and be honest this time. The game is not asking to be seen. It's already shining."
Jabeur didn't want to detract from the men's game, acknowledging that no one was "denying the greatness" there, but she stated: "Honouring one side of the sport shouldn't mean ignoring another. The women's game has been writing its own legacy loudly, brilliantly, and for far too long without full recognition."
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She concluded her letter writing: "With respect. A player who chose this racket out of passion, and honours every woman fighting for her place on the court."
Jabeur's poignant message follows French Open tournament director Mauresmo's explanation as to why women's matches are often overlooked for the primetime 8.15PM night session slot. "Are you talking about Ons Jabeur? As for the scheduling, night-session scheduling, nothing new under the sun compared to the previous editions. We have one single match per night session. It hasn't changed. Accordingly, we won't change everything again," she said.
"The play time also is taken into consideration, potential play time, obviously because we can't plan ahead, be it for women's tennis or men's tennis. But we have to take it into consideration as to the 15,000 spectators coming in for the night session. Since men's tennis is played at the best-of-five sets, three sets will be played at a minimum. It's complicated for us to do otherwise." However, Mauresmo vehemently denied allegations that she was implying the women were " not worthy" during a heated exchange.
Darren Cahill, coach to tennis ace Jannik Sinner, stood squarely behind Ons Jabeur's call for equality, urging French tennis chiefs via X to show more respect for women's matches, saying: "Well said, Ons. The [Fédération Française de Tennis] can start by scheduling some women's matches in the night session in Chatrier. Growth forms from the bottom upwards. Respect breeds from the top downwards."