Coco Gauff has never shied away from using her voice. Rising to fame at just 15, she once said, “I feel like I have a responsibility with the platform tennis has given me to not use it in vain.” Gauff often talks about equality and the power of speaking up for positive change. She champions standing up for what’s right and building a more inclusive world. She also stresses perseverance and self-belief, inspiring others to chase their dreams with confidence. Now, after raising a point at the French Open, Ons Jabeur is rallying with her.
On Tuesday, after beating Olivia Gadecki in her opening match, Coco spoke about the tournament’s timings for the WTA. In her press conference, she said, “I think here it’s a unique topic just because there is only one slot at 8:15 PM. I mean to be honest, if you want, I don’t think any girl, prove me wrong, but I don’t think anyone wants to play after the 8:15 PM match.” Ons Jabeur couldn’t help but join in.
The Tunisian finished her match Tuesday and was asked about her views during her post-match press conference. She said, “Same thoughts as I said last year. It’s still sad that we are still seeing this. I keep standing by my words. In Europe, in general, it’s unfortunate for women’s sports in general. Not just for tennis, but in general. I hope whoever is making the decision.. I don’t think they have daughters. I don’t think they wanna treat their daughters like this.” Strong words, right?
Ons Jabeur on the lack of women’s matches being scheduled for night sessions at Roland Garros, ‘Whoever is making the decision, I don’t think they have daughters… I don’t think they wanna treat their daughters like this’
“Last year you were very vocal about the scheduling of… pic.twitter.com/fZe6HP9bLv
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 27, 2025
Grand Slams, including the French Open, have seen matches stretch very late, sometimes past midnight or even 3 AM. This harms players’ recovery, sleep, and health. It also affects fans, who must stay up extremely late to watch or attend. As Jabeur points out, “It’s a bit ironic, you know. They don’t show women’s sport. They don’t show women’s tennis. Then they ask a question. Yeah, but mostly they watch men.”
But the issue isn’t that viewers prefer the ATP side. According to Ons, it’s a broadcasting problem: “Of course they watch men more, because you show men more. Everything goes together. It’s a shame from the federation. It’s a shame from prime TV that they made such a contract like this.”
She highlights many “great players” on the WTA who miss recognition for this reason alone. Taking yesterday’s match between Naomi Osaka and Paula Badosa as an example, Ons said, “One of the matches was Naomi and Paula. Such an unbelievable match. They were supposed to be there. Iga and Naomi last year were supposed to be there. A lot of great matches that should’ve been there.”
Ons also responded to the French tennis federation president’s quote from Monday: “We have to do what’s best for the fans.. what the fans would be most interested in.” Her reply? “Not sure what kind of fans he’s talking about. I know I’m a fan, I would watch that match.”
However, while the Tunisian ended her campaign in the first round with a loss to Magdalena Frech, Coco will still go on. Additionally, last year, the American opened up about how late-night matches exhaust players, empathizing with peers on both the WTA and ATP sides.
Coco Gauff calls out late-night matches at Grand Slams
At the 2024 US Open, she gave a nod to the tournament’s fresh policies designed to dodge those dreaded late-night matches. During her pre-tournament press conference on August 23, the American No. 1 tackled a bunch of topics, including the tricky issue of matches running way past bedtime. When asked if late finishes are a problem and what could be done, Coco didn’t hold back.
She hasn’t had to face a super late match herself but totally gets how tough it is for others—especially the men, who often grind past midnight in five-set battles. “Yeah, so I’ve never actually had a super late finish just because I’ve just been lucky that either the match will go super fast or anything like that. But obviously I do think that finishing late can really ruin your tournament, especially, like, on the guys’ side when they, you know, if they go on at, like, 11:00 or 12:00,” she said. Women’s matches tend to top out around two or three hours, but men’s can drag on for five.
Coco Gauff also pointed out how late-night matches throw off players’ sleep and put them at a real disadvantage. She’s all for the US Open’s new rule that shifts matches to a different court if they’re set to start after 11 PM. “I think for me I think I heard US Open this year if you’re going to start after 11:00 they’re going to move your court. I think that’s a good initiative to start. You may win that match that day but your sleep schedule and everything is completely messed up for the rest of the tournament. So it does put that person at a disadvantage,” she explained.
With her next match against Tereza Valentova on Thursday, Coco’s exact playtime is still up in the air. Will the powers that be listen to players’ scheduling gripes this year? We’ll see. What’s your take? Share your thoughts below!
The post “Don’t Think They Have Daughters,” Coco Gauff’s French Open Complaint Earns Strong Voice From WTA Pro appeared first on EssentiallySports.