###

The ongoing debate regarding the absence of women's matches in the French Open's night sessions, held on Court Philippe Chatrier, has intensified. A week into the 2025 tournament, not a single women's match has been featured in the coveted evening slot. This has sparked criticism from several prominent WTA players who allege a lack of 'equality' in the scheduling.

Jessica Pegula, currently ranked world number three, voiced her frustrations following her third-round victory, highlighting that the event has 'never been equal.' Other notable players such as Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff, and three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek have also expressed their concerns over the issue. In contrast, Jannik Sinner, the ATP world number one, offered a different perspective on the matter.

Following his dominant third-round win against Jiri Lehecka, Sinner addressed the controversy. "Look, we don't make the schedule. We are players and we don't make the schedule," he said, emphasizing that both genders have an equal number of matches on the major courts and equal prize money. Sinner suggested that the shorter format of women's matches could be a factor. He proposed that two women's matches could be scheduled in the night session to avoid the possibility of a too-short evening featuring just one match, in case of a one-sided game.

Sinner is not alone in this view; former world number four Tim Henman has proposed starting earlier and scheduling two women's matches during the night session to address the inequality.

Despite the growing controversy, the French Open organizers have not yet scheduled a women's match for the night session. This includes the much-anticipated fourth-round match between Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina on June 1, which will take place during the day. Instead, the night session will feature a match between Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti, extending the run of male-only matches in the evening slot to eight.

The choice has been disheartening for fans of women's tennis, who were hoping to see the distinguished players Swiatek and Rybakina in the prime-time evening session. As the tournament moves forward, the likelihood of women's matches gracing the night session remains uncertain, leaving the question of equality in scheduling a hot topic among players and fans alike.