ROLAND GARROS — Paris under the stars, sunset over the stands giving way to bright white floodlights bathing the red clay.
It was such a brilliantly simple idea, to create a night session at the French Open and showcase a “match du jour” in a primetime TV slot, made all the more beautiful by the fact that Amazon Prime Video were prepared to pay an eight-figure sum for the rights to show it live.
To tournament director Amelie Mauresmo, a healthy balance sheet outshines a Parisian sunset every time. And she probably thinks that finally giving women the chance to play in it for the first time since 2023 will wipe the slate clean of any accusations of sexist scheduling.
Bad news, Amelie. It won’t.
The night session has brought with it almost as much controversy as it has revenue: because it is only one slot, it must either be a women’s or a men’s match. And on 56 of the last 60 occasions, the French Tennis Federation (FFT) have chosen the men.
