Ons Jabeur Criticizes French Open for Women's Night Session Exclusion

Tunisian tennis star Ons Jabeur has strongly criticized the French Open organizers and broadcaster Amazon Prime for consistently scheduling only men's matches in the prestigious night sessions since their introduction in 2021, with no women's matches featured in prime-time slots last year or so far this year. Jabeur condemned this pattern as a reflection of a broader issue in European women's sports, asserting that those making the scheduling decisions "don’t have daughters" and implying a lack of empathy toward female athletes. She highlighted the irony in the organizers' claim that men draw more viewers, explaining that this is a consequence of men being given more visibility and prime-time exposure. French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton defended the scheduling choices by stating that night sessions are allocated based on what is perceived as better for spectators, though he left open the possibility of future women's matches at night. Jabeur lamented that many high-profile women's matches, including those involving players like Naomi Osaka, Paula Badosa, and Iga Swiatek, have been excluded from night sessions despite their significance. Her comments underscore ongoing concerns about gender inequality in tennis broadcasting and scheduling at major tournaments like Roland Garros.