Jessica Pegula, who is a WTA council member, recently spoke out about the 'disappointing' scheduling at the 2023 Roland Garros.
In her third column for the BBC, Pegula, who lost in the third round of the 2023 Roland Garros, voiced the frustrations felt by many in the women's tennis community regarding the striking imbalance in prime time night session matches at the Roland Garros.
For the second year running, the French Open organizers showcased a single women's match in the high-profile night slots, a decision that has sparked debate and led to questions of bias and equality in the sport.
At the core of Pegula's argument lies the essence of equal opportunity and representation in the sport. According to the highest-ranked American, if women don't get a chance to showcase their talents, it won't ever be seen.
"Only one of the 10 night sessions featured WTA players - that was when Aryna Sabalenka played Sloane Stephens in the fourth round on Sunday. We want to see more women in those spots, to highlight good tennis matches if we can, so it hasn't been ideal that there has only been one primetime match for us."
Pegula revealed that after last year's fiasco, she and other council members talked to the tournament organizers only to face yet another disappointment this year, as virtually nothing changed.
"I'm a member of the WTA players' council and this issue has been raised a lot. Last year, when there was also only one women's night match, we spoke to tournament organisers about it. That makes this year more disappointing because we tried to address it. We haven't seen any improvement. We're not sure what has happened."
"After the event, when we follow up with the Grand Slams and give feedback, I'm sure we will definitely express our thoughts that we were upset not to see more women's matches on the night schedule."
She further highlights the dichotomy that exists within the tennis fandom. Despite a strong following for women's tennis, Pegula feels that the sport's product is undervalued, especially at Roland Garros and in Europe in general.
"I'm not saying every match is going to be an amazing match but if we don't have the opportunity, how are we ever going to show it? We know people like women's tennis, and the fans like to watch it, but it feels like our product is undervalued here and in Europe in general."
"A number of reasons are put forward by some people for why they aren't more women's night matches - the men's matches are generally longer, women's matches don't give as much value for money, the match-ups are potentially not as exciting, etc."
Interestingly, Pegula also touched upon the unique challenges that playing on Court Philippe-Chatrier presents. The conditions at night, often chilly and windy, can be arduous and sometimes favor certain players. This adds another layer of complexity to the discussion around scheduling and competitive fairness.
"But it goes back and forth, and if you want to showcase our great tennis, then you have to give us a chance. The conditions can be difficult on Court Philippe Chatrier at night - a bit chilly and a bit windy - and that's definitely a factor for the players, too."
"Playing on Chatrier this year in the daytime, I found it is like a wind tunnel. That can definitely favour some players over others and a lot are aware of these kind of things. I think a lot of girls don't mind playing in the day - and I also don't think anyone really wants to be waiting around and following a long five-set match."
As we look ahead, it's crucial to heed Pegula's concluding thoughts.
"Whatever the reasons, hopefully we can showcase more women's matches in this slot next year and won't be going through the same discussions again."
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