The French Open has once again found itself at the center of a scheduling controversy, with tournament director Amelie Mauresmo defending the decision to prioritize men's singles matches for the prime-time night sessions at Roland Garros. This year, as in previous editions, the night slot—a separately ticketed event—has been exclusively reserved for men's matches, leading to criticism from prominent players like Ons Jabeur and Coco Gauff.

Mauresmo emphasized that the decision is influenced by the expected play time, with men's matches being best-of-five sets compared to women's best-of-three. "We have to take into consideration the 15,000 spectators coming in for the night session," Mauresmo said. "Since men's tennis is played at the best-of-five sets, three sets will be played at a minimum. It's complicated for us to do otherwise."

Despite the backlash, Mauresmo insisted that the current format would remain unchanged. "For the scheduling, night-session scheduling, nothing new under the sun as compared to the previous editions," she stated. "We have one single match per night session. It hasn't changed. Accordingly, we won't change everything again."

Players like Gauff have suggested altering the night slot to include two matches, but Mauresmo has dismissed this idea, citing concerns about the late finish times for players. "If we have two matches in the night sessions, it doesn't work in terms of how late the players are going to finish," she explained.

The decision-making process for the night match involves collaboration between the French Tennis Federation (FFT) and broadcasters, with players also providing input. However, the preference for men's matches has led to frustration among female players and fans alike.

Mauresmo acknowledged the challenges of the situation, stating, "It's not ideal. We cannot check every box because we have many, many things to think about when we are doing these choices." Despite the ongoing debate, the French Open's night session format remains a contentious issue, highlighting the broader conversation about gender equality in sports.