Gender dynamics in tennis continue to be a controversial topic, which is putting a cloud of uncertainty over this year’s French Open. The annual issue over tournament scheduling this year has resurfaced, with voices calling for fairness and parity. Although criticism is still coming in from all directions, Amelie Mauresmo, the French Open tournament director, has stood by her judgments, underscoring the ongoing difficulties in attaining equality in sport.
Female tennis players have been striving for prime-time match places for more than two seasons. Only one women’s match was scheduled for the prime-time period in the previous two seasons. The situation at Roland Garros deteriorated despite promises from the organizers to make improvements this year. An even greater imbalance was created by the fact that women’s matches received none of the 11 prime-time slots available.
The WTA as well as the players themselves criticized the discrimination that female tennis players faced. The WTA said in a recent statement: “The generation and depth of talent we are currently witnessing in the sport is incredible. Fans want to see the excitement and thrill of women’s tennis on the biggest stages and in premium time slots. To continue building the value of our combined product, a balanced match schedule that features both the best in men’s and women’s tennis is critical.”
In a recent interview, Mauresmo addressed the matter amid the reaction. The French manager defended the scheduling and restated her previous position. She clarified that because men’s matches are longer, they are arranged for the evening. Citing worries about crowd attendance, she underlined the difficulty of starting night matches earlier to accommodate women’s games. Mauresmo’s latest comments on the matter are consistent with her earlier ones.
Amelie Mauresmo says on Tennis Channel they can’t do the night session with an earlier start because people work late in Paris so the crowd would be empty early on.
Says the potential length is why they went with only men’s matches, as she’s stated the last couple years.
— Tennis Updates (@TennisUpdates24) June 8, 2024
