"It's a shame on the part of the federation and the broadcaster": Jabeur's outburst over the absence of women's matches in night sessions

© AFP

Jules Hypolite

le 28/05/2025 à 00h22

1 min to read

Jabeur Roland Garros

After three days of competition, three men's matches have been scheduled for night sessions at Roland-Garros.

The last time a women's match was scheduled for nighttime? It was in 2023, during the round of 16 between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens. Since the introduction of evening matches, only four women's matches have been given this honor.

This situation has deeply frustrated Ons Jabeur, who was eliminated in the first round on Tuesday by Magdalena Frech: "It's a shame for women's sports in general, not just tennis. I don’t think those making these decisions have daughters—I don’t think they’d treat them like this.

It’s a bit paradoxical. They don’t showcase women’s sports, women’s tennis, and then they say, 'Yes, but fans mostly watch men.' Of course they watch more men because men are shown more—it’s all connected.

It’s a disgrace for the federation and the broadcaster to have signed such a contract. So many great female players deserve to be there. One of Monday’s matches was Naomi Osaka against Paula Badosa. An incredible match.

They should have played in the night session. Like last year with Osaka against Iga Swiatek. So many great matches should have been scheduled for night sessions."

Wednesday’s night session will feature the clash between Emilio Nava and Holger Rune. Initially, organizers had planned to schedule the match between Ben Shelton and Hugo Gaston, but the French player withdrew.