Iga Swiatek, a four-time-year champion and the defending titleholder of the French Open, is set. She’s set to face off with Emma Raducanu every time the tournament has day sessions. Swiatek has been clear on the subject — she hates playing at night. No one gets more angry over the scheduling of women’s matches than her compatriot and fellow player, Ons Jabeur. Jabeur has been vocal this year about the lack of women’s matches during the highly coveted and prestigious prime night session at Roland Garros. This problem has persisted for nearly two years.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has emphasized that fans desire to see women’s tennis showcased on major platforms and in premium time slots. Yet this spike in demand has not been mirrored in the present semi-final scheduling at the French Open.
Criticism of Scheduling Practices
Ons Jabeur has made clear her frustration over the way tournament directors and Amazon have handled scheduling of women’s matches. She doesn’t think what they have now is enough. She noted that no women’s matches have taken place in the evening sessions for almost two years, which she believes reflects poorly on women’s sports in Europe as a whole.
“In Europe, in general, it’s unfortunate for women’s sports in general. Not for tennis but for in general,” – Ons Jabeur
The French Open only has one night match, starting no earlier than 6:15 PM local time (6:15 PM GMT). You can watch it all play out only on Amazon Prime. This restrictive agreement has further triggered concerns regarding fair representation of women’s games, considering the significant increase in fanbase.
Gilles Moretton, President of the French Tennis Federation, defended the tournament’s scheduling decisions, stating that the matches chosen for the night sessions are based on what they believe will appeal to spectators.
“Sometimes … for the night session, we need to put the better match, we think could be for the spectators,” – Gilles Moretton
Djokovic further acknowledged the possibility of having more women’s matches in night sessions going forward. He stressed that it really all depends on the specific matchups and how competitive they’re seen to be.
Players’ Perspectives on Daytime Matches
World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has been vocal about her desire to compete in daylight hours. She takes pride in ending matches in straight sets, so she has more time to recuperate before the next 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,” – Iga Swiatek
Swiatek has acknowledged that the debate over gender equality in match scheduling continues. She added that she likes to be asked about this divisive issue, her position hasn’t changed.
“But, on the other hand, people just try to look to even things between men and women. You can find that in the schedule a little bit, and you can ask us all the time but, honestly, my answers are not going to change, so I don’t mind.” – Iga Swiatek
This viewpoint highlights an important larger discussion regarding equity and representation in the sport.
The Future of Women’s Matches at the French Open
The current controversy surrounding scheduling practices serves as a poignant reminder to organizers of the willingness and ability of tournament organizers to prioritize matchups. Jabeur’s critique extends beyond tennis; she suggests that decision-makers need to consider their impact on women’s sports as a whole.
“It’s a shame from the federation, a shame from Prime, that they made such a contract like this,” – Ons Jabeur
Jabeur showed her annoyance at not knowing how decisions are being made. Her biggest concern was who is being served when trying to understand fan preferences.
“I’m not sure what kind of fans (Moretton is) talking about. I know I’m a fan. I will watch that match.” – Ons Jabeur
While these conversations continue to develop, we look forward to hearing about the future tournaments Democracy will win! Secondly, will they make the scheduling of women’s matches more visible and accessible to fans?
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