Two formidable WTA icons, Aryna Sabalenka and Qinwen Zheng, face off at Court Philippe-Chatrier in an all-important French Open quarterfinal battle. A world No. 1 and three-time slam queen up against the 2024 Paris Olympics gold champion. In short, a star-studded contest for tennis fans. Except, there were hardly any in the stands to watch this showdown unfold. Despite being one of the most anticipated match-ups at the Roland Garros, the big clash didn’t witness a packed crowd on Tuesday. It was an empty affair all along. Reason? Angry fans have come out on social media, putting the blame on tournament organizers, citing a serious problem. Timing.
It seems like the scheduling controversy isn’t going to die down anytime soon in Paris. Especially when it comes to women’s matches. Just days ago, Ons Jabeur expressed her disappointment, citing the “unfortunate” decision of the French Tennis Federation not to have night sessions for WTA players. When asked to comment, FTF’s President responded, “Sometimes for the night session, we need to put the better match, we think, could be for the spectators.”
Lately, several other prominent female pros have also spoken on this burning topic. For example, 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff believes “that women’s matches are worthy of a night spot.” Even her compatriot Jessica Pegula echoed similar sentiments. According to her, requesting the French Open organizers to bring a scheduling change is like hitting “head against the wall because I feel like we have been talking about this for two, three, four (years), probably forever, to be honest, because it’s never been equal.”
The criticism over the schedule of women’s matches seems to have escalated even further after Tuesday’s encounter between Aryna Sabalenka and China’s Qinwen Zheng. As the match ended, with Sabalenka winning 7-6(3), 6-3 and confirming her semifinal spot, tennis journalist Bastien Fachan took to X. He blasted the organizers for keeping the match in the morning slot. “Putting the world #1 against the Olympic champion first up at 11am (5am US time) is so, so shameful. Nothing says ‘we hate women’ louder than that.”
For the uninitiated, the French Open first introduced the night sessions back in 2021. Since then, however, most of the night encounters on the Parisian clay have featured men. The last time a women’s singles match was played at night, it was two years ago. During the 2023 edition, Sabalenka faced American Sloane Stephens in the R16. Speaking of just last season, all eleven night matches featured ATP players.
Putting the world #1 against the Olympic champion first up at 11am (5am US time) is so, so shameful.
Nothing says ‘we hate women’ louder than that.
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) June 3, 2025
After witnessing the empty reception in stands for quality players like Sabalenka and Zheng, fans have gotten furious. On social media, they have come forward while criticizing the event organizers.
Fans bash French Open’s poor scheduling choices
Interestingly, French Open director Amelie Mauresmo thinks there’s no problem with women’s matches. And that their absence from night sessions shouldn’t be viewed as if they are not worthy for those slots. In a press conference, she said, “For me, the message is not changing. It has never been that the girls are not worthy to play at night. It’s never been this,” reported the BBC on May 30. Per the former WTA pro, women’s matches, generally, go “really fast,” wrapping up in just two sets. But for night sessions, they need a match to go at least till the third set. Hence, the choice for keeping men’s encounters (comprised of the best of five sets).
One fan came charging at the event director and wrote, “With Mauresmo as a tournament director, no less. Now people can see that putting women in charge of women’s sports would change nothing. Only money matters.” Even former WTA icon Rennae Stubbs has called her out. In an episode of her podcast, she said if Mauresmo isn’t the one making all final scheduling calls, “then she should quit.”
Meanwhile, another fan wrote, “Thank you for speaking up, Bastien! Things will only change if more people notice the problem. STOP DISMISSING WOMEN AT #RolandGarros !!!” The reaction was in line with Ons Jabeur. Days ago, during a press conference, she said, “It’s a bit ironic: they don’t show women’s tennis, and then they ask the question: ‘Yeah, but they mostly watch men…’ Of course they watch men more, because you show men more.” One tennis lover commented, “Couldn’t agree more.”
Another fan believes that “FO putting all the women’s matches on first, every single day, is ridiculous.” The upcoming French Open match between Coco Gauff and Madison Keys might be another example of problematic scheduling. One individual pointed it out, saying, “And they did it again for Gauff v. Keys LOL and then Mauresmo gets offended when they r called out!!”
Similar to Sabalenka and Zheng’s clash, which started at 11 AM, the upcoming QF contest between Gauff and Keys will begin at the exact time. The venue is the same as well—Court Philippe-Chatrier. Will this showdown also attract fewer spectators? Only time will tell. What are your thoughts on the growing scheduling issue at the French Open? Let us know in the comments below.
The post “Stop Dismissing Women” – Fans Slam French Open After Sabalenka and Zheng Get Undermined by Controversial Scheduling appeared first on EssentiallySports.
