Jannik Sinner Shares Insightful Solution to the Women’s Scheduling Debate at Roland Garros

Currently into the fourth round, Jannik Sinner is on a 17-match winning streak in Grand Slam events.

Jannik Sinner Shares Insightful Solution to the Women’s Scheduling Debate at Roland Garros

Jannik Sinner (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Jannik Sinner recently shared his perspective on the ongoing debate over night session scheduling at the French Open. He suggested that if tournament organizers want to include women’s matches in the evening slot, they should consider scheduling two matches instead of just one.

The issue has drawn increasing attention as the tournament continues to feature only men’s matches in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. Prominent players like Ons Jabeur and Coco Gauff have openly criticized the lack of visibility for women’s tennis in prime time.

Sinner acknowledged these concerns but highlighted the practical challenges involved. He noted that women’s matches, which are played in a best-of-three format, can sometimes be too short to serve as the sole feature of a night session. He said:

In my point of view, men’s matches are best of five. Women’s, they are best of three. If they want to put women’s in the night, they have to put at least two matches. Because if someone has a bad day and someone a very good day, the match is over in less than an hour. So they could play, potentially, a couple of women’s matches in the evening.

To address this, he proposed a potential solution: scheduling two women’s matches in the evening. This, he believes, would create a fuller and more compelling experience for fans while allowing for greater balance in the programming.

Jessica Pegula weighs in women’s scheduling at Roland Garros

Jessica Pegula has expressed growing frustration over the ongoing issue of women being excluded from night sessions at the French Open. She compared the repeated conversations around the topic to “hitting her head against the wall.” Pegula said in the presser:

Every year it’s the same; there’s never equality. I don’t know what else to say. It seems they don’t care; they don’t want to change anything, so I fully agree with Ons; everything should be fairer. We are supposed to be an event that’s egalitarian; all Grand Slams are, why don’t they give us more opportunities? It’s like banging your head against a wall.

Jessica Pegula (2)
Jessica Pegula (Image via X/CGTN Sports Scene)

During the first eight days of this year’s tournament, not a single women’s singles match was scheduled for the night session. This has sparked criticism, with some suggesting the pattern implies that women’s matches are not seen as deserving of the spotlight.

French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo pushed back against that idea, saying the tournament does not view female players as less important. Ons Jabeur also weighed in, saying that recognizing one part of the sport should not come at the cost of sidelining the other.

Despite the controversy, the trend continues. Sunday will mark the 22nd consecutive night session without a women’s singles match, a streak that began in 2023. This weekend’s prime-time matches feature only men, with Novak Djokovic playing Saturday and Holger Rune set for Sunday.

Jannik Sinner advances to the Roland Garros fourth round

World No.1 Jannik Sinner delivered a dominant performance on Saturday at Roland Garros, cruising past Jiri Lehecka in just 94 minutes to secure a spot in the fourth round. The top seed claimed a commanding 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 win, continuing his streak of not dropping a set at this year’s French Open.

Jannik Sinner Jiri Lehecka Roland Garros
Jannik Sinner Jiri Lehecka Roland Garros (via Sport)

Sinner was nearly flawless on serve, losing only nine points in the entire match, according to Infosys Stats. His victory extended his winning run at Grand Slam events to 17 matches, reinforcing his strong form on the biggest stages.

Playing under cloudy skies on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the Italian impressed with his precise baseline play and consistent returns. He repeatedly broke Lehecka’s serve with sharp return winners, including two powerful forehands in the second set’s penultimate game.

Next, Sinner will face the 17th seed, Andrey Rublev, who moved forward after Arthur Fils withdrew due to injury. Sinner holds a 6-3 advantage in their head-to-head meetings. With this win, he improved to 15-1 for the season and is nearing a full year at No. 1 in the ATP Rankings. He has now made the fourth round in 14 of his last 15 majors and boasts a 19-5 record at Roland Garros.

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