While the whole tennis fraternity is bustling with the intense WTA match between World No. 1 and Former World No. 1, Ons Jabeur’s eye is fixed on something that can get her in “trouble” again. After making her dissatisfaction quite clear in the Madrid Open 2024 regarding how women’s tennis runs, the Tunisian WTA star stressed her point again after her second-round match in the ongoing French Open.

During the Madrid Open this year, Ons Jabeur expressed her displeasure with the unequal treatment that women’s tennis players receive.  “I feel like we have a long way, especially here in Madrid and in Rome, in Europe in general. I feel like they need to respect women more and they need to respect how we are playing,” – said Jabeur. Two-time Wimbledon finalist Jabeur also bemoaned the scant coverage for women’s matches and slammed the competition for favoring men after her fourth-round victory over Jelena Ostapenko in the Spanish capital.

Referring to that, in the current Grand Slam, she answered a question about whether similar sentiments carried over to the French Open. Jabeur was talking to the press after advancing to round 3 of the French Open after beating Camila Osorio yesterday. “I’m going to get in trouble again. Aren’t I? I know they are trying here. I wish they’d try more. It’s not something we’ll change in a day,” Jabeur said.

One of the topics Jabeur raised in Madrid was the unequal amount of men’s and women’s matches that were broadcast on television. She also observed that Roland Garros was still experiencing this. She referred to yesterday’s match between Naomi Osaka and the world no. 1 Iga Swiatek which was not on prime-time TV and was an afternoon game rather than a night one.

Jabeur, however, accepted that the men’s matches naturally grab a lot more eyeballs and hence, it’s quite natural for the organizers to give them the prime-time TV slot. “I wish I saw Osaka and Iga’s match today as a night session, but it’s a choice. I understand that,” Jabeur told the reporters.

Jabeur was, however, full of praise for the French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo. Mauresmo is a former legendary women’s tennis player and has been in charge of the organization of the French Open for the last 3 years.

Jabeur looks forward to a conversation with Amelie Mauresmo

Ons Jabeur admitted that Amelie Mauresmo is trying as much as she can to reduce the imbalance in the broadcast of men’s and women’s matches on TV. However, she also added that she would want more efforts from all quarters to reduce the imbalance further. “I think Amelie is doing an amazing job and is trying to change that (the imbalance), but these things, they take time. I wish I can see the change more,” Jabeur added.

She further said, “Maybe the prime time is now. I don’t know. Again, I will keep pushing for that, and I wish really to see promoting more women’s sport in general and women’s tennis in general.”

According to Ons Jabeur, not enough women’s matches feature on TV compared to men’s matches and it’s very noticeable even for a tournament as big as French Open. Jabeur revealed she was planning to have a one-on-one conversation with Mauresmo at the end of the French Open and ask her some questions, which would help her understand things better.