Latest news with #AmélieMauresmo
Telegraph
3 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
French Open row erupts over claims women's tennis is being undermined
Meanwhile, the Women's Tennis Association put out a statement calling for 'a balanced match schedule that showcases the best of both women's and men's tennis – and in premium scheduling slots'. But Amélie Mauresmo, the former Wimbledon champion who is now the French Open's tournament director, remains implacably opposed to the idea of women in the night slot. In a press briefing on Friday morning, she put the policy down to the difference between best-of-three set matches – the format used in the women's draw – and the best-of-five-set contests played by the men. Mauresmo 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.' When asked whether this scheduling approach transmits the impression that women are not worthy of being promoted, Mauresmo bridled and replied: 'That's not what we're saying. I have to stop you right there. For me, the message that I always said, and I will repeat, is the conditions have not changed of having one unique match in the evening. The message has never been the girls are not worthy of playing at night. It's never been this.' 'We are being told that no one watches, that no one cares' And yet, the preferential treatment for men extends through the whole day at Roland Garros. The tournament pays lip service to the idea of a balanced number of men's and women's matches on the big stadium courts, but invariably schedules the women in the lower-profile opening slots – either at 12 noon on Chatrier or 11am on the other two roofed arenas of Court Suzanne-Lenglen and Court Simonne-Mathieu. These are the quietest times to play, because the crowds at Roland Garros tend to build during the day. And while there may be a chicken-and-egg aspect to this debate – with tournament organisers using low attendances to justify unfavourable scheduling – Jabeur pointed out that such perceptions are self-reinforcing. 'A lot of amazing athletes have been told the same things over and over,' she added. 'That no one watches. That no one cares. That women's sport doesn't 'move people'. 'Judgment 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.' The French Open is in a unique position among the four slams, because it is the only one that schedules a daily night session with just a single match. In Melbourne and New York, there will be two singles matches played, split between women and men. At Wimbledon, there is no night session at all.
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
French Open: Only 2 women's matches have been scheduled at night with Amélie Mauresmo in charge
PARIS (AP) — For the fourth French Open in a row, tournament director Amélie Mauresmo was asked about a lack of women's matches during the tournament's night sessions — there was one in 2022, one in 2023, zero in 2024 and, so far, zero in 2025. More from The Star & partners
Toronto Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
French Open: 2 of 36 night matches have involved women with Amélie Mauresmo in charge
PARIS (AP) — For the fourth French Open in a row, tournament director Amélie Mauresmo was asked about a lack of women's matches during the tournament's night sessions — there was one in 2022, one in 2023, zero in 2024 and, as of Friday, zero in 2025. And for the fourth French Open in a row, Mauresmo dismissed the issue, saying at a news conference Friday, when she also was pressed about placing women's matches in the noon slot at Court Philippe-Chatrier, when attendance tends to be sparse: 'The funny thing is that it's the same questions, year after year.'
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
French Open: 2 of 36 night matches have involved women with Amélie Mauresmo in charge
For the fourth French Open in a row, tournament director Amélie Mauresmo was asked about a lack of women's matches during the tournament's night sessions — there was one in 2022, one in 2023, zero in 2024 and, as of Friday, zero in 2025. And for the fourth French Open in a row, Mauresmo dismissed the issue, saying at a news conference Friday, when she also was pressed about placing women's matches in the noon slot at Court Philippe-Chatrier, when attendance tends to be sparse: "The funny thing is that it's the same questions, year after year." At the other Grand Slam tennis tournaments that sell separate tickets for night sessions, the U.S. Open and Australian Open, the main stadiums tend to feature two singles matches for that part of the daily schedule, one involving women and one involving men. Wimbledon has an 11 p.m. cutoff for competition and doesn't sells tickets for a night session. Roland-Garros added night sessions starting three years ago and the French federation has a contract with a streaming service for viewers in the home country that calls for one daily match in European primetime for the first 1 1/2 weeks of the event. Only two of the 36 contests at night in that stretch were women's matches. Mauresmo, a former player who was ranked No. 1 and won two Grand Slam titles, took over as tournament director ahead of the 2022 tournament. She repeatedly has offered similar explanations for why the night match has almost always been a men's match, including that their best-of-five-set format is likely to offer more time on court for ticket-buyers than the best-of-three setup for women. In recent years, some female players have argued that's a mistake and hurts the growth of their sport, although Mauresmo said Friday that no current or former athletes have complained to her about it or offered their thoughts. Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, was asked about the topic this week and called the current setup 'a shame.' 'It's still sad that we are still seeing this," Jabeur said. 'In Europe, in general, it's unfortunate for women's sports. ... Not for tennis, but in general. ... Whoever is making the decision, I don't think they have daughters, because I don't think they want to treat their daughters like this.' 'It's a bit ironic," Jabeur added. "They don't show women's sport, they don't show women's tennis, and then they (say), 'Mostly, (fans) watch men.' Of course they watch men more, because you show men more.' Iga Swiatek, the three-time defending champion in Paris, said it doesn't bother her. 'Every year, we talk about it. My position didn't change: I like playing days, so I'm happy that I'm done and I can have a longer rest,' she said. Mauresmo said that having just one night match hasn't changed, 'So for me, the message is not changing, and has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night.' When a reporter tried to return to matters such as night matches and scheduling women first in Chatrier, asking Mauresmo how big a deal she considers those matters, she replied: 'You know what? I would like to change the subject.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis:
Daily Mirror
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
French Open ban announced as fans threatened with removal from Roland Garros
Fans will be banned from drinking alcohol in the stands at the French Open (Image: Johnny Fidelin/Icon Sport via Getty Images) French Open chiefs will ban supporters from drinking alcohol in the stands as they look to clampdown on bad behaviour. The second major of the year kicks off in Paris on Sunday, with Carlos Alcaraz the defending men's champion. Tennis bosses have been battling against a deteriorating level of fan behaviour during matches. At last year's tournament at Roland Garros, one supporter allegedly spat chewing gum at Belgian star David Goffin during his win over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Tournament chiefs responded by introducing a mid-event alcohol ban in the stands. There is little sign that fan behaviour could improve, with a number of incidents during the Italian Open over the last fortnight. Women's world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka told a fan to 'shut the f*** up' after they yelled out at her during her quarter-final defeat to Zheng Qinwen. In the previous round, world No. 22 Clara Tauson confronted a crowd member who heckled her after she served a double fault against Mirra Andreeva, asking, 'Who are you?' before imploring the umpire to intervene. Meanwhile, men's star Jakub Menšík was involved in a similar confrontation during his match against Fábián Marozsán. That has convinced French Open chiefs to bring in firm rules for supporters. READ MORE: Andy Murray takes up completely new role away from tennis after Novak Djokovic split READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz makes feelings clear after beating Jannik Sinner on rival's return from ban Roland Garros director Amélie Mauresmo has confirmed to that alcohol consumption will be banned in the stands for the entire tournament this year. She warned that any fan whose behaviour falls below standards will be removed from the stands. "It will be fully renewed this year. You can obviously consume in the aisles. But once you're on a court, that's it. And if we notice any incidents, we don't hesitate to evacuate spectators," she told Ouest-France. "I also think that the post-Covid period has given people the desire to express themselves differently and more fully, to let go. And not just at sporting events." Tournament Director Amélie Mauresmo has brought in the ban (Image: Antonio Borga/Eurasia) Alcaraz wrapped up his preparation for this year's tournament by winning the Italian Open, beating Jannick Sinner in Sunday's final. He is now totally focused on winning at Roland Garros for a second successive year. 'I'm just really happy to get my first Rome [title], hopefully it's not going to be the last one,' he said. 'The first thing I want to say is that I'm just really happy to see Jannik back at this amazing level. "I'm sure it wasn't easy for him coming back after three months and making the final of a Masters 1000 in his first tournament [back]. It's something insane, so I have to congratulate him. I'm proud of myself, with the way I approached the match mentally. "Tactically, I think I played pretty well from the first point until the last one. I didn't do a rollercoaster… I maintained my good level throughout the whole match, so I'm really proud about everything I did today. 'All eyes are on Paris right now, on Roland Garros. Beating Jannik, winning Rome, both things mix together and give great confidence going to Paris. I always say 'The final is not about playing, the final is about winning'. I just repeat everytime I play a final.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
