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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
French Open night session snub not about quality of women's tennis, says Amélie Mauresmo
Amélie Mauresmo, the former world No. 1 who is the tournament director for the French Open, has rejected suggestions that the lack of women's matches in the Roland Garros night session tells WTA Tour players that they are not worthy of the event's primetime slot. In a confrontational news conference, Mauresmo insisted that scheduling four women's matches out of 44 on Court Philippe-Chatrier since 2021 was not a judgment about the value and quality of women's tennis. Advertisement 'It has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night,' Mauresmo said. 'It's never been this, and I will not accept that you carry this message.' Mauresmo said that the French territory television contract with Amazon Prime stipulates there being only one match in the night session. She then repeated another message of the past few years: that the potential length of the match is what matters. A three-set match could be over in two; a five-set match guarantees at least three. 'It's the length of the matches, not the level they reach,' Mauresmo said. Earlier in the week, French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Gilles Moretton said that scheduling decisions are based on 'what is better for spectators.' Advertisement Mauresmo said no female player has raised the issue directly with her, but her comments followed Coco Gauff, the world No. 2, and Ons Jabeur, the three-time Grand Slam finalist, discussing the importance of giving women the chance to showcase their talents in front of the widest possible audience. 'It's still sad that we are still seeing this,' Jabeur said in a news conference. 'I keep standing by my words. In Europe, in general, it's unfortunate for women's sports. Not for tennis but for in general. I hope 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.' 'I do think that women's matches are worthy of a night spot,' said Gauff, who often plays at night at the U.S. Open in front of some 24,000 people at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She said French Open organizers could solve the problem by starting earlier and having two matches at night rather than one, as both the U.S. and Australian Opens do, as well as other top mixed tournaments. Advertisement 'From my experience playing at US Open, night match at 7 p.m. with Novak (Djokovic) following me, and he's the greatest player of all time, people were almost just as excited to see me play as him,' Gauff said. Jabeur also noted the circularity and the self-fulfilling outcome of having limited women's matches in the best slots. 'They don't show women's sport, they don't show women's tennis. Of course they watch men more because you show men more. Everything goes together. It's a shame from the Federation, a shame from the Prime,' she said. She noted how Naomi Osaka and Paula Badosa had played an epic three-set match that lasted nearly two and half hours in the first round, a duel between two high-profile players that could have carried a night session. Osaka played a similar match in the second round last year against Iga Świątek. Both matches took place in the day session, but Osaka's encounter with the four-time champion went on so long that it was getting dark when they were done. Advertisement 'A lot of great matches, they should have been there,' Jabeur said. Mauresmo told reporters to 'ask her on Sunday' about the topic, and a French reporter suggested putting the all-French encounter between wild cards Lois Boisson and Elsa Jacquemot in the slot Saturday, during the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter. She said that the night sessions are sold out to Chatrier's capacity of 15,000, with the seats filled from early in the first set. She suggested that would not be the case if the session started earlier with a women's match, partly because of French work schedules. That is rarely an issue in Melbourne and New York, with spectators who have paid serious money for prime tickets not wanting to miss out. Ken Solomon, the former chief executive of the Tennis Channel, which used to be the U.S. broadcaster of the tournament, said he had raised the issue during his tenure. In part, that was to see if high-profile Americans like Gauff might play at night because it is the afternoon in the U.S., even if that meant scheduling two women's matches for the night session. Solomon said that there was no interest in doing that from either the WTA Tour or the tournament. Advertisement Like every other broadcaster, TNT, the current U.S. broadcaster makes suggestions and expresses preferences but ultimately the French Tennis Federation (FFT) makes the final call. The last time women played at night on Philippe-Chatrier was in 2023, when current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka played Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals. Asked whether she personally had an issue with the decision to schedule exclusively men at night since then, Mauresmo declined to answer. 'I would like to change the subject,' she said. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Sports Business, Tennis, Women's Tennis 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
French Open night session snub not about quality of women's tennis, says Amélie Mauresmo
Amélie Mauresmo, the former world No. 1 who is the tournament director for the French Open, has rejected suggestions that the lack of women's matches in the Roland Garros night session tells WTA Tour players that they are not worthy of the event's primetime slot. In a confrontational news conference, Mauresmo insisted that scheduling four women's matches out of 44 on Court Philippe-Chatrier since 2021 was not a judgment about the value and quality of women's tennis. Advertisement 'It has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night,' Mauresmo said. 'It's never been this, and I will not accept that you carry this message.' Mauresmo said that the French territory television contract with Amazon Prime stipulates there being only one match in the night session. She then repeated another message of the past few years: that the potential length of the match is what matters. A three-set match could be over in two; a five-set match guarantees at least three. 'It's the length of the matches, not the level they reach,' Mauresmo said. Earlier in the week, French Tennis Federation (FFT) president Gilles Moretton said that scheduling decisions are based on 'what is better for spectators.' Mauresmo said no female player has raised the issue directly with her, but her comments followed Coco Gauff, the world No. 2, and Ons Jabeur, the three-time Grand Slam finalist, discussing the importance of giving women the chance to showcase their talents in front of the widest possible audience. 'It's still sad that we are still seeing this,' Jabeur said in a news conference. 'I keep standing by my words. In Europe, in general, it's unfortunate for women's sports. Not for tennis but for in general. I hope 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.' 'I do think that women's matches are worthy of a night spot,' said Gauff, who often plays at night at the U.S. Open in front of some 24,000 people at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She said French Open organizers could solve the problem by starting earlier and having two matches at night rather than one, as both the U.S. and Australian Opens do, as well as other top mixed tournaments. 'From my experience playing at US Open, night match at 7 p.m. with Novak (Djokovic) following me, and he's the greatest player of all time, people were almost just as excited to see me play as him,' Gauff said. Jabeur also noted the circularity and the self-fulfilling outcome of having limited women's matches in the best slots. Advertisement 'They don't show women's sport, they don't show women's tennis. Of course they watch men more because you show men more. Everything goes together. It's a shame from the Federation, a shame from the Prime,' she said. She noted how Naomi Osaka and Paula Badosa had played an epic three-set match that lasted nearly two and half hours in the first round, a duel between two high-profile players that could have carried a night session. Osaka played a similar match in the second round last year against Iga Świątek. Both matches took place in the day session, but Osaka's encounter with the four-time champion went on so long that it was getting dark when they were done. 'A lot of great matches, they should have been there,' Jabeur said. Mauresmo told reporters to 'ask her on Sunday' about the topic, and a French reporter suggested putting the all-French encounter between wild cards Lois Boisson and Elsa Jacquemot in the slot Saturday, during the Champions League final between Paris Saint-Germain and Inter. She said that the night sessions are sold out to Chatrier's capacity of 15,000, with the seats filled from early in the first set. She suggested that would not be the case if the session started earlier with a women's match, partly because of French work schedules. That is rarely an issue in Melbourne and New York, with spectators who have paid serious money for prime tickets not wanting to miss out. Ken Solomon, the former chief executive of the Tennis Channel, which used to be the U.S. broadcaster of the tournament, said he had raised the issue during his tenure. In part, that was to see if high-profile Americans like Gauff might play at night because it is the afternoon in the U.S., even if that meant scheduling two women's matches for the night session. Solomon said that there was no interest in doing that from either the WTA Tour or the tournament. Advertisement Like every other broadcaster, TNT, the current U.S. broadcaster makes suggestions and expresses preferences but ultimately the French Tennis Federation (FFT) makes the final call. The last time women played at night on Philippe-Chatrier was in 2023, when current world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka played Sloane Stephens in the quarterfinals. Asked whether she personally had an issue with the decision to schedule exclusively men at night since then, Mauresmo declined to answer. 'I would like to change the subject,' she said. (Top photo of Amélie Mauresmo: Antonio Borga / Eurasia Sport Images via Getty Images)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
French Open night session debate reignites
When Britain's Jack Draper faces Gael Monfils at the French Open on Thursday, it will once again highlight an eye-opening statistic. It's one that raises the question of whether the clay-court Grand Slam should do more to promote the women's game. Not since 2023 has a women's singles match occupied the primetime night session slot on Court Philippe Chatrier - a run stretching to 19 successive matches. In fact, since the tournament introduced night sessions in 2021, only four matches have been from the women's draw. It is a striking imbalance that hits the headlines year after year, and one which former world number two Ons Jabeur believes affects women's sport as a whole. "It's unfortunate for women's sports in general. Not for tennis, but in general," said three-time Grand Slam finalist Jabeur following her first-round exit on Tuesday. "I hope 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. They don't show women's sport, they don't show women's tennis, and then they ask the question, yeah, but mostly they [viewers] watch men. Of course they watch men more because you show men more. Everything goes together." The last women's singles match to be played in the evening at Roland Garros was Aryna Sabalenka's fourth-round win over Sloane Stephens two years ago. When asked for a comment in response to Jabeur's comments, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) did not provide one. Instead it said tournament director Amelie Mauresmo would "talk about this topic shortly" with the former world number one expected to hold a news conference later this week. FFT president Gilles Moretton defended the tournament's scheduling on Monday. "Sometimes for the night session, we need to put the better match, we think could be for the spectators," said Moretton. "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, which will be the best match." In Wednesday's night session at Roland Garros, Danish men's 12th seed Holger Rune takes on American world number 137 Emilio Nava. Earlier in the day, Poland's four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek beat Britain's Emma Raducanu - a US Open champion in 2021 - before Belarusian top seed Sabalenka's match against Jil Teichmann. Since 2021, of the 44 matches to take place under the lights of Court Philippe Chatrier, only four have been women's singles encounters: 2021 - Serena Williams' first-round win over Irina-Camelia Begu and Swiatek's fourth-round victory against Marta Kostyuk 2022 - Alize Cornet's second-round win over Jelena Ostapenko 2023 - Sabalenka's fourth-round win against Stephens The WTA said: "The WTA encourages all combined tournaments to provide a balanced match schedule that showcases the best of both women's and men's tennis - and in premium scheduling slots. "The current generation and depth of talent in women's tennis is extraordinary, and fans deserve and also expect the opportunity to witness the elite performance, athleticism and excitement of these top-tier match-ups on the sport's biggest stages." On Tuesday, Swiatek emphasised her preference for playing during the day. "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. American second seed Coco Gauff suggested the evening session could be contested by more women, but echoed Swiatek's position of not wanting to play too late. "I think if there is only going to be one match at 8:15pm, maybe there could be a women's match," said Gauff. "But if they want to start the night session at 8:15pm, I'm sure most girls on tour would rather not play after a men's match and have to go on at 11pm or 12am." Discussion about the gender imbalance in the French Open night sessions has been an annual theme over the past few years. So why has nothing changed? Because, despite the pressure, Roland Garros organisers don't want it to. There is only one match in the primetime slot, which is shown across France on Amazon Prime. The strategy differs to the Australian Open and US Open, which both put on two night matches - but then run the risk of stretching play late into the early hours of the following morning. Having just one match is the chief factor highlighted by tournament director Amelie Mauresmo - a former women's world number one - when defending her choices. She fears the shorter three-set format of the women's game could lead to fans not getting enough value for money. Live scores, results and order of play Get tennis news sent straight to your phone
LeMonde
5 days ago
- Sport
- LeMonde
French Open first round illustrates France's decline in women's tennis
Gilles Moretton chose to get ahead of the situation. On Monday, May 26, the day after the 2025 edition of the French Open started, the president of the French Tennis Federation (FFT) met with the press to discuss several topics, including the country's alarming results in the women's game. The 67-year-old leader was well aware that French women's tennis is going through a turbulent period – one that is dangerously stretching. It was time to think positively, highlight the good matches played by French women in qualifying, and pin hopes on future generations, the players born in "2012, 2013, 2014." On Tuesday evening, no one was looking that far ahead, after the first round of the tournament. Only three Frenchwomen made it through to the second round, just as in 1983 (the year the draw expanded to 128 players) and 2019, the worst years for French women's tennis. Of the nine players on the starting line – another record low since 1983 – only Léolia Jeanjean, Elsa Jacquemot and Loïs Boisson managed to avoid early exits. The three deserve credit for seizing their chance to qualify. But if the FFT had not had eight wild cards to distribute for the main draw, none of them would have avoided a perilous qualifying stage. With her wild card, Jeanjean was able to face and ultimately benefit from the retirement of Romania's Irina-Camelia Begu (0-6, 7-5, 3-0), who injured her knee. Jacquemot got the better of Greece's Maria Sakkari (6-3, 7-6). The day's standout achievement went to Boisson, who, late on Tuesday, knocked out the 24 th seed, Elise Mertens of Belgium (6-4, 4-6, 6-3).
India Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Point of the year? Corentin Moutet pulls miraculous effort in French Open first round
France's Corentin Moutet pulled off an incredible point during his first-round match at the 2025 French Open against compatriot Clement 3-3, 40-30, Moutet was on the verge of earning a break point, but Tabur responded with a powerful serve that put him under pressure. Remarkably, Moutet managed to return then charged the net, trying to finish the point, but Moutet covered the court brilliantly, chasing down every shot. Despite making Moutet run corner to corner, Tabur couldn't close it out. Eventually, Moutet fired a stunning forehand winner down the line to clinch the break Also Read: French Open Day 4 Order of Play: Swiatek, Sabalenka, Alcaraz set for second roundOvercome with emotion, Moutet celebrated by tossing his racket onto the court in a theatrical mic-drop gesture. The crowd at Court Simonne-Mathieu erupted in applause, appreciating the Frenchman's flair and the video hereCORENTIN MOUTET, COMMENT ?#RolandGarros FFT (@FFTennis) May 27, 2025Moutet went on to win the match 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, securing his place in the second round. Last year, he made an impressive run to the fourth round at Roland Garros before falling to Jannik Sinner in four sets.'Goal is to win'Up next, Moutet faces a formidable challenge as he takes on 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic. Despite the daunting matchup, Moutet expressed confidence, saying that if he plays at his best, he believes he can beat anyone on his expect a full stadium with many people supporting me. I will try to give them what they want, create a special energy. My goal is to win the match, and I believe in my chances. I have my weapons, and I will be ambitious; I think that if I play well, I will have my chances against anyone," Moutet said in the press conference after beating Tabur."Novak is a great legend, and it will be an honour to face him, just like it was to play against Nadal here a few years ago," Moutet holds a 2-0 head-to-head record against Moutet, having defeated the Frenchman at both the 2019 Paris Masters and the 2024 Rome Watch
