PARIS — Ons Jabeur closely criticized the choice from French Open organizers to once more prioritize males’s matches within the late-evening slot on Court docket Philippe-Chatrier.
The primary 4 days of the 2025 match have seen males’s matches scheduled within the slot, a individually ticketed session that begins at 8:15 p.m. native time.
Because the night time session was launched in 2022, simply two of its 33 matches have been ladies’s singles. On the flip facet, the primary match on Court docket Philippe-Chatrier is normally performed in entrance of sparse crowds, and all 4 openers this 12 months have been ladies’s singles.
Jabeur, who final 12 months mentioned gamers deserve “higher scheduling” after a number of matches went on past midnight, spoke after her first-round loss to Magdalena Frech on Tuesday, criticizing the choice to solely decide males’s matches for the night time session.
“It is nonetheless unhappy that we’re nonetheless seeing this,” Jabeur mentioned. “I maintain standing by my phrases.
“In Europe, on the whole, it is unlucky for ladies’s sports activities on the whole. Not for tennis however for on the whole. I hope whoever is making the choice, I do not suppose they’ve daughters as a result of I do not suppose they wish to deal with their daughters like this.
“You already know, it is a bit ironic. They do not present ladies’s sport, they do not present ladies’s tennis, after which they ask the query, ‘Yeah, however principally they watch males.’ After all they watch males extra since you present males extra. All the pieces goes collectively.
“It is a disgrace from the federation, a disgrace from the Prime, no matter referred to as the TV, that they made such a contract like this. A whole lot of nice gamers, they need to be there. One of many matches was Naomi [Osaka] and Paula [Badosa]. Such an unbelievable match. They had been alleged to be there. Like final 12 months, Iga [Swiatek] and Naomi was alleged to be there. A whole lot of nice matches, they need to have been there.”
Jabeur’s criticism comes a day after French tennis federation president Gilles Moretton prompt the choice on night time matches was geared towards followers.
“The schedule is one key level on the match,” Moretton mentioned. “Typically we now have to consider what may very well be higher for spectators. That is why generally we now have to make some decisions.”
Jabeur mentioned to that: “I am unsure what sort of followers he is speaking about. I do know I am a fan. I’ll watch that match.”
