Roland Garros & Amazon Prime Leave Women’s Tennis in the Shadows

As Roland Garros rolls on, a recurring controversy is once again casting a harsh spotlight on the tournament’s scheduling practices. For the past two years, not a single women’s singles match has been featured in the coveted night sessions on Court Philippe Chatrier—a streak of 19 consecutive men’s matches occupying the prime-time slot since June 2023.

Since night sessions were introduced at Roland Garros in 2021, only four women’s matches have ever been scheduled under the lights—a glaring imbalance that has become an annual topic of debate. The tournament’s exclusivity on Amazon Prime Video in France this year has only escalated tensions, as the broadcaster has followed “tradition” by consistently prioritizing men’s matches for the night slot.

The frustration has struck a nerve with several players on the WTA Tour. Former world No. 2 and three-time Grand Slam finalist Ons Jabeur voiced her feelings following her first-round exit this week:

“It’s unfortunate for women’s sports in general, not just tennis… I hope whoever is making the decision doesn’t have daughters, because I don’t think they want to treat their daughters like this.

They don’t show women’s sport, they don’t show women’s tennis, and then they ask why people mostly watch men. Of course, they watch men more—because you show men more. Everything goes together.”

Jabeur also pointed out missed opportunities, citing marquee matches like Naomi Osaka vs. Paula Badosa and last year’s Iga Swiatek vs. Osaka—both contests that deserved the night spotlight but were sidelined.

At the center of the criticism is French Tennis Federation President Gilles Moretton, who defended the scheduling decisions by stating that the “best match” is selected for the night session. However, the backlash persists. The FFT has yet to respond officially to Jabeur’s comments, though tournament director Amélie Mauresmo is expected to address the topic soon.

Topics of Tennis Thoughts

With growing pressure from players, fans, and the broader tennis community, Roland Garros faces a pivotal choice: continue with a conservative night session format or embrace a more equitable distribution of prime-time opportunities for women’s tennis.

Tournament organizers have consistently chosen to schedule just one match per night session, exclusively broadcast on Amazon Prime (as of 2025). This approach contrasts with the Australian Open and US Open, both of which feature two-night matches and accept the risk of late finishes to promote greater gender balance.

A quote from American rising star Coco Gauff—highlighted by The Tennis Podcast team, who drew a powerful connection—underscores why prime-time visibility for top female players matters:

“Other than the obvious size of the country… we have a lot of role models to look up to throughout the history of the sport… that inspires other people.”

It begs the question: how can we expect women’s tennis to grow if today’s players aren’t being showcased during the prime-time slots at Europe’s only Grand Slam? And how can we expect the next generation of young girls to be inspired if they can’t watch their idols on the sport’s biggest stage?

Jake Scudder

Journalist – Topics of Tennis