“It doesn’t really matter” – Mirra Andreeva joins Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek & others in women vs men French Open scheduling debate

Mirra Andreeva joined the ongoing French Open night session debate as Aryna Sabalenka, being the WTA No. 1, didn’t get a match in court Philippe-Chatrier, whereas Jack Draper, being ranked 5 among men, has been scheduled for a night session match. Prior to this, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur are some WTA stars who have expressed their disapproval on this matter.

Even though the tournament officials have made statements vehemently denying their bias, statistics show that since 2021, only four have been women’s singles matches out of the 44 encounters that have taken place under the lights of Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Andreeva, however, took a more diplomatic tone on this, due to her claiming that she was not experienced enough to make any definitive remark on the topic. After her win over Ashlyn Kreuger in the second round of the French Open, she made her opinions known during the post-match press conference.

Trending

"For me, doesn’t really matter if they put me night session, I’m happy. If they put me first match, it’s been working well so far. So for me, yeah, doesn’t really matter. Whatever they decide, I’m good with it," she said.

She sided with the tournament organisers and tried to justify that they might have some reasoning behind scheduling the matches the way they did.

“For me, cannot really say anything because I feel like I need to have a little bit more experience to really just comment on these things. I don’t know. Maybe...it would be great of course to put her on Philippe-Chatrier. But I think that maybe they had a reason to put Rune on Philippe-Chatrier and her on Suzanne Lenglen," Andreeva added.

French Tennis Federation (FFT) President Gilles Moretton also weighed in on this matter.

French Open organisers on night scheduling imbalance

The FFT President, Gilles Moretton, on behalf of the French Open, addressed the buzz around the night session scheduling and how it is not based on any bias towards women, but purely out of business reasons, as some matches boost ticket sales.

"Sometimes for the night session, we need to put the better match, we think could be for the spectators. Maybe we will have 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," said Moretton (via BBC).

They will hold an elaborate news conference explaining this matter later this week.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

Aatreyi Sarkar

Aatreyi Sarkar is a tennis journalist at Sportskeeda. Currently pursuing a degree in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University and a U.S. State Department scholar at The University of Kansas, she blends her academic background with her passion for storytelling.

Aatreyi sources accurate information from social media platforms to stay updated on the latest developments and fan discussions. She strives to produce engaging, insightful, and experimental content that connects with readers, aspiring to make tennis more accessible and captivating for fans around the globe

She finds immense inspiration in Novak Djokovic, whose incredible comebacks and relentless determination motivate her to approach her work with the same passion. Roland Garros is her favorite tournament, cherished for its unique clay-court challenges and historical importance.

Though new to professional writing, Aatreyi has been an avid debater and quizzer since middle school, showcasing her analytical skills and creativity. Outside tennis, she is a passionate cricket fan, baker, and reader who enjoys exploring literature beyond academic constraints.

Know More