Jabeur slams French Open for not scheduling women's matches in night sessions

PARIS :Tunisian player Ons Jabeur slammed French Open organisers and broadcaster Amazon on Tuesday for sidelining women’s matches from the coveted night sessions, with none featured at the claycourt Grand Slam in almost two years.

The last women's singles match to be played under the lights of Court Philippe Chatrier was a fourth-round encounter between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens on June 4, 2023.

The French Open has one evening match, this year starting not before 2015 local time (1815GMT) and in France is exclusively broadcast by Amazon's Prime service.

"In Europe, in general, it's unfortunate for women's sports in general. Not for tennis but for in general," Jabeur said after losing her first-round match at Roland Garros.

"I hope whoever is making the decision, I don't think they have daughters, because I don't think they want to treat their daughters like this.

"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. Of course they watch men more because you show men more. Everything goes together."

French federation President Gilles Moretton defended the tournament's choices, saying on Monday the 'best match' was scheduled at night.

"Sometimes ... for the night session, we need to put the better match, we think could be for the spectators," Moretton told a press conference on Monday.

"Maybe we will have a few, I have no idea, a few female matches on the night sessions. We'll see. Depends on the schedule, who is playing who, which will be the best match."

Reuters has asked Amazon Prime for comment.

Wednesday's night session was scheduled to feature France's Hugo Gaston against Ben Shelton before the American withdrew