As the 2025 French Open captivates tennis fans at Roland Garros, world No. 2 Coco Gauff has ignited a firestorm of debate by challenging the tournament’s scheduling practices, which she and others argue favor men’s matches for prime-time night sessions. Initially hesitant about late-night play, the 21-year-old American has reversed her stance, passionately advocating for gender equality in the prestigious 8:15 p.m. slot on Court Philippe-Chatrier. “I do think that women’s matches are worthy of a night spot,” Gauff declared after her second-round victory over Tereza Valentova, a 6-2, 6-4 win that showcased her clay-court prowess. Her comments, echoing those of three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur, highlight a growing frustration among WTA players over their limited visibility in the tournament’s marquee evening sessions.
Since the French Open introduced night sessions in 2021, the disparity has been stark. Of the 34 night matches played through 2024, only two featured women’s singles, and in 2025, all five night sessions from Sunday to Thursday showcased men’s matches, including high-profile clashes like Novak Djokovic versus Lorenzo Musetti. By contrast, women’s matches, including those of stars like Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and Aryna Sabalenka, have been relegated to daytime slots, often playing to sparse crowds in the morning. “It’s still sad that we are still seeing this,” Jabeur said, her frustration palpable after another year of male-dominated scheduling. Gauff, who once downplayed the night session’s appeal in 2023, saying, “I don’t think a lot of people want that spot just because it is a late night,” now sees the issue through a lens of fairness. “I don’t think that a woman should play after the men at 8:15. I just think that’s unfair,” she added, emphasizing the physical and mental toll of late starts, especially after men’s best-of-five-set matches that can push women’s matches past midnight.
The scheduling controversy intensified after Djokovic’s third-round match against Musetti ended at 3:07 a.m., the latest finish in French Open history, prompted by rain delays and an additional match slotted on Chatrier. Gauff, who advanced to the third round with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Olivia Gadecki, highlighted the health implications of such late finishes. “Finishing at 3 a.m., then you have press, shower, eat, and treatments—that’s not going to bed until 5 or 6 a.m.,” she said, drawing from her 2023 Canadian Open experience where a late match left her fighting for a 1:30 a.m. start to preserve recovery time. Her call for a cutoff time, similar to Wimbledon’s 11 p.m. curfew, reflects a broader push for player welfare. “It’s a complicated thing, but for the health and safety of the players, it would be in the sport’s best interest to avoid matches starting after a certain time,” she urged.
French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton’s defense of the scheduling, prioritizing “the better match” for spectators, has drawn ire for implying men’s matches are inherently more compelling. “We produce some high-quality tennis, and we have some great stars on the women’s side who fans, I’m sure, would love to see,” Gauff countered, advocating for a model like the US Open and Australian Open, where two night matches—often one men’s and one women’s—ensure equitable visibility. Jabeur, who suggested organizers “probably do not have daughters,” proposed starting night sessions earlier, around 6:30 or 7:00 p.m., to accommodate two matches without late finishes. Danielle Collins echoed the sentiment, noting, “We attract a lot of fans, a lot of crowd. There’s value in having us on the night schedule.”
Gauff’s outspokenness comes as she navigates a stellar 2025 season, with runner-up finishes in Madrid and Rome and a 2023 US Open title under her belt. Her third-round clash with Marie Bouzkova looms, but her off-court advocacy is resonating, amplified by social media buzz and support from peers like Swiatek, who prefers earlier starts but acknowledges the issue’s complexity. “It’s not like we’re going to fall asleep one hour after the match,” Swiatek said, highlighting the recovery challenges. As the French Open progresses, Gauff’s push for change, backed by Jabeur and Collins, could force organizers to rethink their approach, ensuring women’s tennis gets the prime-time spotlight it deserves.
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