French Open Night Sessions: Mauresmo Addresses Format Concerns
- French Open officials are facing scrutiny over the night match scheduling, which has been dominated by men's singles matches.
- The night matches, ticketed separately, have exclusively featured men's matches this year, continuing a trend from previous years.
- Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation, said the choices were made "to put the better match...for the spectators." Mauresmo supported this,citing match length as a key...
The french Open’s controversial night match scheduling takes center stage, wiht tournament director Amelie Mauresmo defending the current format despite mounting criticism. Concerns over the exclusive focus on men’s singles matches during the night sessions have sparked debate, particularly from players like Gauff and Jabeur, who question the fairness of the scheduling controversy. mauresmo acknowledges the situation isn’t “ideal,” yet maintains that they won’t implement changes. The core issue boils down to prioritizing match length and accommodating the 15,000 spectators.These night match scheduling choices by the French Open officials are under examination, as match length is a key factor. News Directory 3 brings you the latest as the tournament navigates player feedback. Will the format evolve in response to player suggestions like Coco Gauff’s proposal for two night matches? Discover what’s next for the tournament’s scheduling strategies.
French Open Defends Night Match Scheduling Amid Criticism
Updated May 30, 2025
French Open officials are facing scrutiny over the night match scheduling, which has been dominated by men’s singles matches. Tournament director amelie Mauresmo acknowledged the situation isn’t “ideal” but stated there are no plans for changes. The french Open has faced criticism from players regarding the scheduling controversy at Roland Garros.
The night matches, ticketed separately, have exclusively featured men’s matches this year, continuing a trend from previous years. This has prompted questions from players such as Ons Jabeur and Coco Gauff.
Gilles Moretton, president of the French Tennis Federation, said the choices were made “to put the better match…for the spectators.” Mauresmo supported this,citing match length as a key factor,given that men play best-of-five sets while women play best-of-three.
“For the scheduling, night-session scheduling, nothing new under the sun as compared to the previous editions,” Mauresmo said Friday.”We have one single match per night session. It hasn’t changed. Accordingly, we won’t change everything again.”
Mauresmo added that the potential play time is considered, given the 15,000 spectators attending the night session. she said that as men’s matches are best-of-five, at least three sets will be played.
Mauresmo clarified that the scheduling wasn’t intended to suggest women are ”not worthy to play at night.”
Coco Gauff suggested having two matches during the night session,but Mauresmo dismissed this idea.
Currently, three matches are played on Court Philippe-Chatrier during the day, frequently enough starting with a women’s singles match before smaller crowds, followed by a single night match.The French Tennis Federation and broadcasters decide the night match, considering player preferences.
“We decide to keep the three matches in the day,” Mauresmo said. “When you put those three matches, the easy way would be to have the two matches in the evening. then we wouldn’t have this conversation.”
Mauresmo explained that having five matches during the day would cause matches to finish to late. “If we have two matches in the night sessions, it doesn’t work in terms of how late the players are going to finish. That’s my opinions.”
Mauresmo acknowledged the conflicting factors. “It’s not ideal,” she said. “We cannot check every box because we have many, many things to think when we are doing these choices.”
What’s next
The French Open will continue to evaluate scheduling feedback,though notable changes to the night match format appear unlikely in the immediate future.