History On Course to Be Repeated at 2023 French Open as Controversial Scheduling Inequalities From Last Year Set to Persist

On every evening of the French Open, there’s a match that’s promoted as the day’s highlight. It’s termed the ‘night-session’ match, and the organizers of the Stade Roland-Garros showpiece came up with the idea in 2021. The match takes place on Court Phillippe-Chatrier and begins at 9 PM. While the execution of the idea proved to be smooth enough in 2021, it ran into problems in 2022. The 2022 French Open witnessed 10 night-session matches. However, out of those 10, only 1 involved women’s tennis players. There was a significant outcry as a result, and right now, it seems like the 2023 French Open is headed toward a similar situation.

Equality in tennis has always been a sensitive topic of discussion and following the Madrid Open debacle that saw the women’s doubles finalists barred from making speeches, it has become even more sensitive. For French Open director Amelie Mauresmo, it’s imperative to get the scheduling of the night-session matches right this time around.

The comments of Amelie Mauresmo in 2022 drew scathing criticism from prominent women’s players

According to Mauresmo, the 2022 French Open night-session matches featured more men’s players than women’s players for a simple reason. At the time, Mauresmo indicated that matches involving men’s players are more appealing. In an interview with Eurosport, Mauresmo said, “In this era that we are in, I don’t feel bad or unfair – as a woman and former women’s player – saying that right now you have more appeal in general, for the men’s matches.”

Following Mauresmo’s comments, several prominent women’s players lashed out at the tournament director. The most prominent among them was none other than reigning women’s singles World No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Swiatek expressed her disappointment and surprise at Mauresmo’s comments. The Polish tennis ace said that she was taken aback especially as Mauresmo was one of the stars of the WTA Tour at the peak of her powers.

When the BBC quizzed Mauresmo regarding the night-session matches at this year’s tournament, she remained tight-lipped. “To be honest, I’m not able right now to tell you anything about numbers of men’s or women’s matches”.

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However, she offered more clarity by saying, “I think we have to wait for the draws first, and for the head-to-head every day because that is really what is pushing us to make a choice – to know which match is going to be the match of the day.”

2021 French Open director’s comments were more explanatory than Mauresmo’s

The French Tennis Federation appointed Mauresmo as the director of the French Open last year. Before Mauresmo, Guy Forget was the director. It was Forget who oversaw the introduction of the night-session matches in 2021. At the time, even Forget faced several questions from the media regarding the idea.

However, Forget’s responses proved to be more elaborate than Mauresmo’s comments last year. Forget said that men’s matches are more favorable for the night-session matches as they involve a minimum of 3 sets. On the other hand, women’s matches involve a minimum of 2 sets. According to Forget, the fact that men’s matches tend to go on longer than women’s matches was the reason behind the decision to favor the former for the night-session matches.

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