French Open 2023: Lack of women’s night matches sucks, says Coco Gauff, adds that ‘no one really wants’ to play in them

Coco Gauff says the lack of women’s night matches so far at the French Open “does suck”, but that no player she has spoken to wants to play in them.

The 19-year-old, who revealed afterwards how she had won through by “trusting in my shots and game plan”, also spoke about the disparity between men’s and women’s matches in the primetime night slot so far, with Aryna Sabalenka and Sloane Stephens set to be the first on the women’s side since the tournament began on May 28.

“I didn’t see that they [Sabalenka and Stephens] were scheduled. I didn’t realise only the men have been scheduled in that spot,” Gauff said.

“I don’t know if the night session amongst the players is a popular hotspot, to be honest. I guess for the TV and that’s the prime spot, maybe yes, it does suck in that sense.

“But amongst the players and from my conversations, I don’t think a lot of people want that spot just because it is a late night.

“I really don’t have much say on that. I mean, just speaking to the players, I don’t know if Sloane or Aryna wanted to play at that time, but I know the ones I spoke to, no one really wants the night session.

“On that sense, we were happy with the men taking it, but obviously it is the prime spot. So it does suck a little bit in that way. It depends on how you think about it, to be honest.”

Laura Robson spoke about the issue on Eurosport on Saturday, and felt that the “stars” of the women’s game – such as Gauff and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek – should get their chance at night.

“I don’t think Zverev v Tiafoe is a bad match at all,” Robson began, referencing Saturday’s scheduled night match.

“I think that’s a great match and it has so much potential, both players playing some good clay-court tennis, Tiafoe always brings in the energy, he gets the crowd involved.

“Zverev started to win the crowd over in his last match where he played in the night session by saying he was going to become French for the next 10 days.

“But ultimately you look at any of the women’s matches on the schedule and you can say the same things about them, and say the same positive things about the players involved.

“Gauff is a star and Swiatek is a star, and they should get the opportunity to show that on the biggest stage.”

Robson’s fellow Eurosport expert Mats Wilander said on Friday that it was “ridiculous” that no women’s matches had been scheduled by that point.

“I think that it’s ridiculous to not have ladies matches at night,” he said on Friday. “I mean, it’s such an easy problem to solve. You throw in a French pair in mixed doubles where they play shorter matches, they don’t play three sets, they play a tie-breaker at one set all.

“I mean, you’ve just got to give them another hour of entertainment in case Swiatek plays.

“The people here would love to support a French mixed team in doubles on centre court.

“I don’t think that is the problem, I think there is another issue because the problem is very easily solved.”

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