Women are 'worthy' but all-male French Open night sessions continue

French Open tourney head Amelie Mauresmo has rejected accusations that not scheduling women's matches successful nan tournament's nighttime convention implies female players are not "worthy" of nan slot.

The first six nighttime sessions astatine Roland Garros person each been men's singles matches.

In a news convention earlier this week, two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur said nan determination - which is debated each twelvemonth - affects nan maturation of women's sport.

Mauresmo, a erstwhile WTA world number one, says nary women's players person complained straight to her astir nan situation.

Asked if she understood that not picking women's matches led to immoderate women emotion "not worthy", Mauresmo replied: "That's not what we're saying. I person to extremity you correct there.

"For me, nan connection that I ever said, and I will repeat, is nan conditions person not changed of having 1 unsocial lucifer successful nan evening.

"The connection has ne'er been nan girls are not worthy of playing astatine night. It's ne'er been this."

Saturday's nighttime convention will conflict pinch French broadside Paris St-Germain facing Inter Milan successful nan Champions League last successful Munich.

The schedule was not decided earlier Mauresmo's news convention connected Friday - but it was later confirmed 24-time awesome champion Novak Djokovic's lucifer against Austria's Filip Misolic will inhabit nan slot.

"The Champions League last won't alteration overmuch for america anyway," she said.

"We are trying to do nan utmost for nan tournament. We are very happy for PSG but we are organising our ain event.

"There will beryllium 15,000 group present truthful we want to springiness them nan champion imaginable match."

Jabeur made an impassioned station connected societal media later connected Friday, penning "honouring 1 broadside of nan athletics shouldn't mean ignoring nan other".

"The women's crippled has been penning its ain bequest loudly, brilliantly, and for acold excessively agelong without excessively overmuch recognition," she added.

The French Open nighttime sessions - which were introduced successful 2021 - characteristic conscionable 1 singles lucifer connected Court Philippe Chatrier.

A women's singles match, played complete 3 sets, has not been put successful this primetime slot since 2023 - meaning nan past 20 night-time sessions person been men's singles matches, which are played complete 5 sets.

Only 4 matches person been from nan women's tie since they were brought successful 4 years ago.

Questions are raised each twelvemonth astir whether nan French Open should do much to beforehand nan women's game.

Mauresmo says women's matches perchance going "really fast" is nan justification down nan choices.

"There is thing caller nether nan sun compared to nan erstwhile editions," she said.

"We person 1 azygous lucifer per nighttime session. It hasn't changed. We won't alteration everything again.

"Two sets tin spell really accelerated erstwhile you person 3 sets minimum.

"It's not nan level nan [women] scope correct now. I'm not talking astir this."

Mauresmo besides said nan tourney does not want to person 2 matches successful nan nighttime session, for illustration nan Australian Open and US Open, successful fearfulness of creating precocious finishes.

She pointed to nan afloat crowd astatine Thursday night's lucifer betwixt French favourite Gael Monfils and British number 1 Jack Draper - played successful beforehand of a afloat location until it vanished astatine 23:45 section clip - arsenic a measurement of nan schedule's success.

"If we person 2 matches successful nan nighttime sessions, it doesn't activity successful position of really precocious nan players are going to finish," she said.

"But if we commencement earlier, nan stands are going to beryllium quiet successful astir of nan first match, truthful we support this 1 lucifer successful nan evening.

"It's not ideal. We cannot cheque each container because we person many, galore things to deliberation erstwhile we are doing these choices."

Mauresmo became disappointment pinch nan questions astir nan deficiency of women's nighttime matches during Friday's news conference.

After answering respective questions astir nan subject, she quickly unopen down different 1 towards nan extremity of nan half-hour event, saying she wanted to "change nan subject".

Earlier, Mauresmo attempted to move connected from nan rumor by implying location would beryllium immoderate women's matches picked complete nan coming days.

"Maybe we talk astir this connected nan past Sunday," she said.

Mauresmo will beryllium hoping nan women's tie throws up immoderate imaginable options for nighttime matches.

"We person immoderate rivalries which are absorbing – Iga [Swiatek], Coco [Gauff], Aryna [Sabalenka], Madison [Keys]," she added.

"I deliberation we are going done a very bully era pinch absorbing personalities and nan level of play is very high.

"The level is overmuch higher than before. We person much of an adjacent footing than before."