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  • Continued lack of women's matches in French Open night session prompts tennis journalist to call on director Amelie Mauresmo for review
Amelie Mauresmo was appointed as the French Open tournament director in 2021

Continued lack of women's matches in French Open night session prompts tennis journalist to call on director Amelie Mauresmo for review

French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo’s failed promise of allotting night sessions "fairly" to men as well as women in the 2023 edition has left tennis journalist David Law unimpressed.

The French Open introduced night session matches in 2021, with the idea of promoting the particular day’s headline match during the prime-time slot. However, there has been a noticeable preference given to men’s singles matches. This hasn’t gone down well with the tennis world.

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Tennis journalist and broadcaster David Law recently expressed his displeasure with the lopsided selection of matches during the 2023 edition; all prime-time clashes thus far have featured men.

“The night session at the French Open is billed as the match of the day. Last year, 1 in 10 nights were women’s matches. This year so far, 0 of the 6 nights will have had women’s matches scheduled. Tomorrow night [June 3], Zverev vs. Tiafoe. No Swiatek, Jabeur or Gauff vs. Andreeva,” he said.
The night session at the French Open is billed as the match of the day.

Last year, 1 in 10 nights were women’s matches.

This year so far, 0 of the 6 nights will have had women’s matches scheduled.

Tomorrow night, Zverev vs. Tiafoe.

No Swiatek, Jabeur or Gauff vs. Andreeva.
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Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo came under fire for her preference of men’s singles matches over women’s during last year’s edition as well. She was further called out for controversially stating that men’s match-ups have "more attraction and appeal."

Mauresmo later asserted that the tournament will take necessary measures ahead of the 2023 edition to ensure that men and women are allotted the night sessions "fairly."

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"I'm in it to try to find a better solution to be fair to everyone. I can see that there are some adjustments to be made, that's for sure. We're gonna talk about it after the tournament," she had said.

However, noticing that no such changes have been made thus far, David Law questioned Mauresmo’s failed promises.

“A year ago, TD Amelie Mauresmo apologised for saying women’s tennis did not have the same ‘appeal’ when asked about the scheduling. It was her first year. She said the Tournament would review it. That adjustments were needed. Ok. So where are they?” he said.
A year ago, TD Amelie Mauresmo apologised for saying women’s tennis did not have the same ‘appeal’ when asked about the scheduling.

It was her first year. She said the Tournament would review it. That adjustments were needed.

Ok. So where are they?
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"I cannot think at the moment differently on that" – French Open director Amelie Mauresmo on awarding prime-time slot to men’s matches in 2023

Amelie Mauresmo alongside Billie Jean King and Gilles Moretton at French Open 2022
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French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo recently acknowledged that equality between men and women should be prioritized at the French Open.

“For me the priority in equality is definitely to have two women and two men on each court every day,” Amelie Mauresmo said in a recent interview with Telegraph.

Mauresmo, however, shed light on the complications encountered while choosing the headline match of the day.

“We are a unique example of only one match scheduled in the evening, it makes it quite difficult to know in advance. It's a tough one. There is no perfect solution here,” Mauresmo said.

The former player explained her perspective as she stood by her recent selection of men’s singles prime-time matches.

“We have 15,000 people buying tickets for that match for 10 days so I’m really thinking about what would be the best match of the day. I cannot think at the moment differently on that. But other than that, I believe we are quite equal in pretty much everything that we do,” she declared.
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Edited by
Yasho Amonkar
 
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