French Open 2026: Why are women being continually overlooked for Roland Garros night sessions?

There has not been a women's match in the French Open night session since Sloane Stephens lost to Aryna Sabalenka in the 2023 third round An important question continues to be raised at the French Open - why are the leading women not being picked to play in the Grand Slam tournament's coveted night-time slot? Each of the past 32 primetime sessions - scheduled to showcase the sport to the largest possible audience in France, Europe and the US - have been allocated to the men. No women's match has been held at night since 2023. It felt telling when four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka said on Saturday she did not "even associate" the French Open with night matches. Since the one-match sessions were introduced in 2021, only four of the 60 slots on Court Philippe Chatrier have been given to the women - including Sunday's scheduled night match between Casper Ruud and Joao Fonseca. American world number five Jessica Pegula said last year she felt like she was "hitting her head against the wall" over the subject, while two-time Wimbledon finalist Ons Jabeur questioned whether the people making the decision "have daughters". Jelena Ostapenko, who won the French Open women's singles in