• Ons Jabeur criticizes the French Open for excluding women's matches from night sessions.
• Only four women's matches have been played in night sessions since 2021.
• French Tennis Federation defends its scheduling decisions, emphasizing the best match criteria.
• WTA calls for balanced match scheduling for both men's and women's tennis in premium slots.
• After years of criticism, the issue of gender imbalance remains unresolved.

Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur expressed her discontent with the French Open organizers and broadcaster Amazon for excluding women's matches from the prestigious night sessions. None have been held in the last two years, with the most recent women's singles match under the lights taking place on June 4, 2023, between Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens. After her own first-round exit at Roland Garros, Jabeur stated, "In Europe, in general, it's unfortunate for women's sports in general. Not for tennis but for in general," highlighting a broader issue beyond just tennis, according to Channel News Asia and Reuters.

The French Open has scheduled only one night match this year, featuring players starting at 2015 local time (1815GMT) and broadcast exclusively by Amazon Prime. Jabeur criticized the decision-makers, saying, "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." French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton defended the scheduling by stating that they prioritize matches they believe would attract the most spectators. "Sometimes... we need to put the better match," he explained, according to BBC and Reuters.

Since the introduction of night sessions in 2021, women have only participated in four out of 44 night matches. This raises concerns about the visibility and promotion of women’s tennis at significant events. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) highlighted that a "balanced match schedule" is essential to showcase both men's and women's talents effectively, emphasizing that fans deserve to see elite performances on big stages. Jabeur echoed these sentiments, stating that the absence of women's matches sends a discouraging message about the sport's commitment to gender equality, according to BBC and Reuters.

The scheduling system at the French Open has faced criticism not only for the lack of women's matches in prime time slots but also for a broader failure to address gender disparities. Notably, Jabeur remarked that the organizers might not understand or appreciate the impact of their decisions on aspiring female athletes. With figures highlighting the drastic differences in match distributions, Jabeur’s comments reflect a sentiment shared by many in the sports community who advocate for greater recognition and equality in coverage. This points to a long-standing and unresolved issue concerning gender representation in sports, particularly at high-profile tournaments like the French Open, according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and Reuters.