Coco Gauff & other top WTA pros being snubbed for Gael Monfils in French Open Day 5 night schedule angers fans

The French Open organizers have once again disregarded Coco Gauff in terms of the night-session slot, opting instead to feature World No. 42 and local favourite Gael Monfils in prime time on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Thursday, May 29. Their decision has since irked a large section of the tennis community.

The Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT) has courted considerable controversy over its scheduling this week. It made the dubious choice to put the likes of Ben Shelton, Gael Monfils, and Holger Rune in the lone night-session spot on Philippe Chatrier, snubbing Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek on Day 1, Day 3, and Day 4, respectively.

The FFT didn't pay any heed to the previous negative sentiment regarding its scheduling when it came to Day 5, putting Monfils' second-round outing against fifth-seeded Jack Draper in the night session over top WTA pros like Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys, who will play their matches in the morning session on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

More concerningly, World No. 2 and 2022 Roland Garros runner-up Coco Gauff didn't even make it to the main court, with her second-round match having been scheduled on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Many fans were disappointed by the FFT's scheduling on Wednesday (May 28), if their reaction on X (formerly Twitter) is anything to go by.

"Coco Gauff is literally the biggest WTA player on that side and they have Pegula and Keys on Chartier over her," one fan asserted on X.

"What the actual f**k is this," another wrote while questioning the French Open organizers' scheduling choices.

"F*******CK THE SCHEDULERS," one more fan wrote.

"Gael Monfils has played more night matches at Roland Garros this week than any woman ever," another claimed.

The French Open organizers also drew flak for scheduling 2021 titlist Barbora Krejcikova on Court 14, which is the fourth-biggest court after Court Philippe-Chatrier, Court Suzanne-Lenglen, and Court Simone-Mathieu.

"They do barbie k sooo dirty with these court assignments lol. She’s literally a FO winner and reigning wimby champ and she can’t get a show court?" the fan wrote.

Gael Monfils, who was carrying an injury during his five-set win against Hugo Dellien in Paris on Tuesday (May 27), was not a good pick to play on Philippe Chatrier, according to another fan, who also questioned Alexander Zverev and João Fonseca's placement in Day 5's schedule.

"Strange that they put Monfils on at night - second time in a row and he may have been injured. Zverev and Fonseca outside the top two," the fan insisted (translated from Portuguese).

Gauff, meanwhile, had also given her two cents on the FFT's scheduling on Tuesday following her first-round win against Australia's Olivia Gadecki.

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Coco Gauff makes her position on French Open scheduling fiasco clear

Coco Gauff looks on during her French Open 1R encounter | Image Source: Getty

While many fans were upset at the French Open organizers snubbing the 2023 US Open champion for Gael Monfils, she is herself not too keen on playing in the night session, mostly because of its start time of 8:15 pm local time.

"I think here is a unique topic because there is only one slot at 8:15 pm. To be honest, I don’t think any girl - I mean, prove me wrong, but I don’t think anyone wants to play after the 8:15 pm match," Coco Gauff told the media in Paris earlier on Tuesday.

"I don’t know what the other girls would think, but I think most people would rather play before that. Maybe there’s a chance to put someone at 6:30 pm or 7:00 pm," she added.

The 21-year-old will face the Czech Republic's Tereza Valentova for a place in the third round of the 2025 French Open.