Jannik Sinner tells French Open organisers what they must change if they are to put women's matches in the night session

The controversy surrounding the lack of women’s matches on Court Philippe Chatrier’s night sessions rages on as the world number one shares his thoughts.

A week into the 2025 French Open, we are yet to see a women’s match headline the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Several big names on the WTA Tour have shared their thoughts on the controversy, with some bemoaning the lack of ‘equality’.

World number three Jessica Pegula sounded off on the schedule after her third-round win, complaining that the event has ‘never been equal.’

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Ons Jabeur, Coco Gauff, and Iga Swiatek have all made their feelings heard on the topic, as ATP world number one Jannik Sinner now shares his thoughts.

Jannik Sinner says the schedule is ‘quite equal’ and thinks they’d need two WTA matches for night sessions

Speaking after his dominant 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 win over Jiri Lehecka in the third round, Sinner was asked whether he’d heard other players complain about the night session schedule on Chatrier.

“I have heard some players. Look, we don’t make the schedule. We are players and we don’t make the schedule,” he said.

“We have the same number of men’s and women’s matches on the big courts. We have the same amount of prize money for men and women. The night schedule, I don’t make the schedule, so I cannot give you any feedback.

“I don’t want to comment on that and go into details, but I think we have equal so many things at the moment, and it’s nice to see this. Maybe things can change in the future, I don’t know.”

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Sinner then suggested what tournament organisers would have to do if they wanted women to headline Chatrier’s night session.

“I mean, men’s matches are best of five. We know that. Women’s they are best of three,” he said.

“If they want to put women in the night [session], they have to put at least two matches. Because if someone has a bad day and someone has a very good day, the match is over in less than an hour.

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“So they could play potentially a couple of women’s matches in the evening. For men to put two matches there is impossible because it can go so long. Or you start at 6 PM, and then it’s okay. But it’s too long.”

The Italian did, however, reiterate that he’s not the one making the decisions.

“But in the other way, again, I am not making the schedule, all I know is that we still have the same amount of men’s and women’s matches on Centre Court for example, there is two and two, and the same on Lenglen and the same on Simone-Mathieu at the moment, so there is quite a lot equal,” said Sinner.

“But I don’t make the schedule so yeah.

“If they want to put night sessions for women, they have to play two, I guess. That’s the only thing I can say.”

Sinner isn’t alone in his belief that putting two women’s matches on the night session could solve the problem, as former world number four Tim Henman provided a similar solution recently.

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“If they want to rectify it, they should go to two matches and start earlier,” said Henman.

Who will headline Court Philippe Chatrier’s night session on Sunday?

With the controversy reaching a fever pitch, many expected the French Open to ease the tension by scheduling a women’s match for the night session on Sunday, June 1.

It seemed as if they had the perfect match for it, as three-time defending champion Swiatek is set to take on Elena Rybakina in a mouth-watering fourth-round tie.

They weren’t given the night session slot, however, and will instead be the second match on.

Sunday June 1 – Court Philippe Chatrier schedule

Holger Rune and Lorenzo Musetti will headline the night session on Sunday, extending the streak of men’s matches taking the slot at this year’s tournament to 8-0.

There’s no doubt Rune and Musetti will put on a show for those in attendance on Chatrier, but it’ll surely be a hard pill to swallow for fans of women’s tennis to see a matchup between Swiatek and Rybakina, two Grand Slam winners, snubbed for a clash between two players who are yet to reach a Major final.

As the tournament progresses, it looks less likely by the day that we’ll see the women take centre stage in a Chatrier night session.

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