During the ongoing French Open in Paris, Coco Gauff emphasized the need for an improved scheduling system that grants women’s matches the same prominent spotlight as men’s events. Her comments followed criticism from Ons Jabeur, who expressed disappointment over the Roland Garros organizers consistently placing men’s singles matches in the night session since its inception in 2022.
Current Scheduling Inequities
To date, only two out of 34 night matches have featured women’s singles, despite a full lineup of men’s matches occupying the subsequent slots each evening. Jabeur articulated her frustration, stating, “It’s still sad that we are still seeing this… I keep standing by my words.”
In contrast, the earlier matches on Court Philippe-Chatrier have been led by women’s singles despite often playing to underwhelming crowds. Gauff supported Jabeur’s stance, arguing that if women’s matches are scheduled during night sessions, they should not follow men’s matches. “I just think that’s unfair,” Gauff noted.
Call for Fair Representation
Gauff proposed that if organizers were to schedule two matches during the evening, it should be a priority to feature a women’s match first. “If they are going to put one match at 8:15, for sure there could be an opportunity to put a woman there,” she asserted. Gauff also expressed concern for the late starting times, suggesting that matches shouldn’t commence as late as 11 p.m. or midnight.
Organizers’ Rationale
Jabeur’s comments came on the heels of a statement from Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation, insisting that scheduling should focus on providing the “better match … for the spectators” in night slots. Gauff disagreed, asserting that women’s matches can fulfill that criterion as well.
“We produce some high-quality tennis and we have some great stars on the women’s side who fans I’m sure would love to see,” said Gauff. She highlighted her positive experiences playing in night matches at events like the US Open and the Australian Open, noting that fan enthusiasm was nearly equal when she played alongside renowned male athletes like Novak Djokovic. Gauff concluded by expressing optimism that scheduling practices could be improved in the future for the tournament.
