The French Open is coming to an end without the female tennis players being allowed to play even once in the evening. This has annoyed the world number one.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka has criticized the scheduling at the French Open and called for more attention for women’s tennis. “There were so many great matches, so many great games that would have been cool to see in the night session,” Sabalenka said after reaching the semifinals in Paris.
At this year’s French Open, eleven matches were scheduled for prime time at 8:15 p.m., all of which were men’s matches. Not a single women’s match took place in the evening.
Last night session with Zverev
Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic will contest the last night session of the year this Wednesday. “We deserve to play on the bigger stage,” said Sabalenka, “so that more people can watch us.”
The scheduling has been a political issue at the French Open since its introduction in 2021. In five years, there have been only four women’s matches in the evening.
Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo had rejected the criticism, citing, among other things, the wishes of Amazon Prime, which exclusively broadcasts the night session in France. Since women only play two sets, the risk of the matches ending too quickly is too great, the former player had said.
