“It’s a bit ironic. They don’t show women’s sport, they don’t show women’s tennis, and then they ask the question, yeah, but mostly they (viewers) watch men,” Ons Jabeur said after her 1st-round Roland Garros exit, a statement that echoed far beyond the court. Despite the grandeur of Rafael Nadal’s farewell and a surge in WTA excitement this year, the French Open remains under fire for sidelining women’s matches in prime time. Coco Gauff already raised the issue, and now AO champion Madison Keys has joined the chorus, amplifying a powerful call for equality on the sport’s biggest stages. Hint: She also gave a solution later!

The scheduling controversy at Roland Garros surrounding the lack of women’s tennis in prime-time slots has gained significant traction, especially after Tunisian star Ons Jabeur 1st addressed the issue. Later, American top seed Coco Gauff echoed those sentiments following her 2nd-round win over Tereza Valentova, 6-2, 6-4. Speaking candidly, Gauff admitted, “I talked about this a few days ago, and to be honest, I didn’t really have all the facts about the situation,” she said. “I do think that women’s matches are worthy of a night spot.”

Gauff didn’t hold back in questioning the current system as well. “And I think, to be honest, if there were gonna be two spots [in Paris], I don’t think that a woman should play after the men at 8:15,” she added. “I just think that’s unfair. Because you could go on at 11:00. And that’s if the match really goes fast. I think there is opportunity to put the match earlier at like 7:00… like most tournaments do the 2 night slots. I think if they’re gonna put one match at 8:15, there for sure could be opportunity to put a woman there.” Now, with Madison Keys adding her voice, the call for change is growing louder.

Following her 3rd-round victory over fellow American Sofia Kenin, Madison Keys weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding the scheduling of women’s matches at the French Open. Speaking in her post-match interview, the current AO winner pointed out a stark contrast between Roland Garros and other GS events. “I think women typically have night matches everywhere else, so I don’t think it’s a point of discussion at other tournaments,” she said. “It’s obviously been a hot topic here. Seeing as there’s only one match, I think that it’s much different than other tournaments, but I think women’s matches are very entertaining and they have great value and they deserve to be the feature match.”

When asked about a potential resolution, Keys, who beat Sabalenka for the AO glory in January, didn’t mince words at all. “Solution is to put them at night,” she stated bluntly.

To give some context, the Roland Garros has failed to schedule a single women’s match for the night sessions during the opening rounds of both the 2024 and 2025 editions. Since Amélie Mauresmo took over as tournament director in 2022, only 2 women’s singles matches have been featured in the marquee night slot on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

In stark contrast, all 11 night matches in 2024, and all thus far in 2025, have exclusively featured men’s singles only. The most recent women’s match in that spotlight came during the 2023 4th round, when Aryna Sabalenka faced Sloane Stephens. Since the introduction of night sessions in 2021, only 4 women’s matches have made the cut.

Unlike the US Open and AO, which each offer dual-night matches for men and women, Roland Garros features just one. That structural limitation has only added fuel to the controversy among the WTA stars.

And if you think the outcry is limited to Coco Gauff and Madison Keys, then think again! Even a 4-time Roland Garros champion has echoed the same sentiments, reinforcing that this isn’t a passing issue, but a growing movement.

Iga Swiatek Demands Fair Scheduling for Women at Roland Garros

Amid growing criticism of Roland Garros’s scheduling practices, the defending champion Iga Swiatek added her voice to the call for equality, using her own match experience to make a compelling case. After defeating Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 6-2, 7-5 on Court Suzanne Lenglen yesterday, the defending champion pointed to the fan energy as proof of women’s tennis appeal.

“Women’s matches can be entertainment the same way as men’s matches. As you could see today during my match, fans were doing the Mexican waves and everything. So people like it,” Swiatek added. “We can put on a nice show. That’s why I think it should be equal. That’s it.”

The WTA also stepped in, telling Reuters via email that it urges all combined tournaments to deliver a balanced schedule, one that presents both women’s and men’s tennis during the most prominent time slots across the tournament.

French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo defended the event’s scheduling, pushing back against claims of bias. “For me, the message is not changing, and it has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night,” she said. “It’s never been this. I’ll not accept that you carry this message. That’s clear to me.”

The debate continues to intensify, with top stars like Swiatek and other WTA leaders pushing for the recognition and visibility that women’s tennis undeniably deserves. However, what’s your take on the overall situation?