Aryna Sabalenka’s Quarterfinal Match at Roland-Garros
In a surprising turn of events at Roland-Garros, Aryna Sabalenka, the world’s leading female tennis player, found herself competing in a half-empty stadium, a scenario she deemed unjust. On Tuesday, the three-time Grand Slam champion faced off against China’s Zheng Qinwen in the first quarterfinal match, which kicked off at 11 a.m. on the iconic Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Match Attendance and Scheduling Concerns
As the match commenced, a significant number of the 15,000 available seats remained vacant—a frequent sight during the early sessions of the French Open, as many spectators prefer to arrive late or take breaks for food.
Following her victory with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 scoreline, Sabalenka expressed her thoughts on the scheduling, suggesting that the match could have benefited from a later time slot to attract a larger audience.
“It was a big match and probably would make more sense to put us a little bit later just so more people could watch it,”
she stated, highlighting her concern for visibility and audience presence.
The Challenge of Equal Treatment
The challenge of ensuring equitable scheduling for women’s matches at the French Open falls on the shoulders of tournament director Amélie Mauresmo, who faces difficulties in incorporating more night sessions for female competitors. Since the inception of these evening matches in 2021, only four women’s singles encounters have graced the night slot. While Serena Williams marked the historic beginning of night matches at Roland-Garros, such events have often been undermined by empty stadiums due to COVID-19 restrictions.
This year has seen no women’s matches held during the evening sessions, a situation that Sabalenka passionately advocates for change. She articulated a need for “equal treatment” for women in tennis, emphasizing the thrilling nature of the matches that would benefit from a larger audience under the night sky.
“There were a lot of great battles, a lot of great matches which would be cool to see as night sessions,”
she noted, encouraging officials to prioritize women’s visibility in major events.
Looking Ahead
Despite the challenge of an early match schedule, Sabalenka found a silver lining, relishing the opportunity to have a leisurely afternoon before her upcoming semifinal against Iga Swiatek, a four-time champion.
“I’m happy to finish earlier and then I have a half day off and I can just enjoy the city and do all the things that I have to do,”
she remarked, looking ahead with anticipation.
