Home / Sports / WTA Stars Protest French Open's Primetime Scheduling
WTA Stars Protest French Open's Primetime Scheduling
29 May
Summary
- Women's matches significantly underrepresented in night sessions since 2021.
- Tournament director defends scheduling based on match duration.
- Players, including Coco Gauff, protest for better revenue share and visibility.
The 2026 French Open is embroiled in controversy over its scheduling of night sessions, which have predominantly featured men's matches, drawing criticism from the WTA. Despite a star-studded women's field including Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, and Coco Gauff, their matches are largely relegated to daytime slots.
WTA chairperson Valerie Camillo has met with tournament director Amélie Mauresmo to address the persistent issue of women being assigned only a few night-session slots since 2021. Mauresmo cited the longer duration of men's five-set matches as justification for prioritizing them in premium slots.
However, this year's women's draw is considered more compelling than the men's, which lacks major storylines and faces the absence of key challengers. Top players like Sabalenka and Swiatek are scheduled for day matches, while lower-profile men's games occupy the lucrative night slots.
Coco Gauff has amplified player concerns, participating in a 15-minute protest at a press conference. She highlighted the financial struggles of players ranked outside the top 100 and advocated for a greater share of Grand Slam revenues for athletes.
