The 2025 Roland Garros recently found itself at the center of controversy after yet another year of excluding women’s singles matches from the prestigious primetime night session. Not a single women’s match has featured in that slot since 2023. Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo offered a blunt explanation: women’s matches, played as best-of-three sets, tend to finish much faster than men’s five-set battles.

“It has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night,” Mauresmo said. “It’s the length of the matches, not the level they reach,” Mauresmo said. French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton had also defended the decision, saying that scheduling is done based on “what is better for spectators.” Well, the French Open is done and dusted, but the debate over women playing five sets and having primetime night matches is still a debate. And Aryna Sabalenka is weighing in with her bold take.

Looking every bit the title contender and the World No. 1, Sabalenka powered through her opening match on Monday, defeating qualifier Carson Branstine 6-1, 7-5 to advance to the second round. But it was her post-match press conference that sparked headlines.

When asked whether she would be in favor of playing best-of-five sets in Grand Slam tournaments like the men, Aryna Sabalenka didn’t hesitate to give an honest response. The Belarusian said, “I think probably physically I’m one of the strongest ones. Maybe it would benefit me. But I’m not ready to play 5 sets. I think it’s too much on the woman’s body. We are not ready for this amount of tennis. I think it would increase the amount of injuries. So this isn’t something I would consider. I’ll leave this for the guys to handle.”

The ongoing conversation around women’s matches and their place in Grand Slam scheduling has only intensified in recent weeks, reignited by the unforgettable showdown between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at the French Open earlier this month. That five-set classic earned universal praise for its drama and quality, praise the Belarusian readily echoed, even if she has no personal desire to join that format on the WTA Tour.

“I was happy to see that long, high-quality match. For someone watching, it’s amazing to see like five hours of great tennis. It’s so fun to watch,” Sabalenka said in her press conference. “But I’m not really jealous to stay there for 5 hours. As a player… I don’t know how many days they needed to recover after that crazy match. But it was an unbelievable match.”

Historically, the idea of women playing best-of-five isn’t new. From 1984 to 1998, the WTA Finals championship match used the longer format. The very first of those finals saw Martina Navratilova defeat Chris Evert in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, 6-1. Both legends supported the extended format, with Navratilova later noting how it allowed women to showcase the same depth, stamina, and mental grit as the men. Still, the format was eventually abandoned, and today’s WTA tour remains best-of-three across all events, including the Grand Slams.

Aryna Sabalenka, however, has never shied away from speaking her mind, even when it lands her in hot water.

When Aryna Sabalenka revealed, she doesn’t watch women’s matches

During the 2024 Madrid Open, the World No.1 found herself at the center of another firestorm after offering a blunt opinion on women’s matches.

“I’m not one to watch a lot of tennis, I prefer to watch men’s tennis than women’s, I feel there’s more logic and it’s more interesting to watch,” she said at a pre-tournament press conference.

The comments sparked swift criticism from fans and fellow players alike, who felt that her words undermined the very sport she represents. The 27-year-old later offered a clarification, saying, “I didn’t mean to disparage women’s tennis, I just find it more fun to watch men play because I spend a lot of time studying my opponents, so then in my free time I don’t want to see girls again that I can play against.”

Controversies aside, Sabalenka continues to let her tennis do the talking. She has reached the semifinals at Wimbledon twice, in 2021 and 2023, and skipped last year’s tournament due to a shoulder injury. This year, she’s back with a purpose, having finished runner-up at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

After breezing past Canadian qualifier Carson Branstine in her opener at Wimbledon, Aryna Sabalenka is now set to take on Czech player Marie Bouzkova. Can she finally get her hands on a Grand Slam trophy this year?