Naomi Osaka’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has shared his candid take on the lack of women’s matches during the night sessions at the French Open.
As questions about gender bias in scheduling grow, Mouratoglou claims Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff lack the superstar status of past icons. In a recent Instagram video, the Frenchman addresses growing criticism surrounding the tournament’s scheduling practices and questions whether the backlash is entirely fair.
Patrick Mouratoglou Claims Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff Lack Star Power for French Open Night Sessions
Roland-Garros has faced repeated accusations of gender bias in its prime-time match slots, and this is an issue that has been lingering for years.
The controversy flared up again this year when the night sessions, starting at 8:15 p.m. on Court Philippe-Chatrier, featured only men’s singles matches. Critics argue that the trend sidelines women’s tennis during the sport’s most-watched window, diminishing its visibility.
In his video titled “Are Night Sessions Really Gender-Biased?”, Mouratoglou weighed in on the matter, calling it “a big debate at the moment.” He emphasized his long-standing support for the women’s game, saying:
“I always loved women’s tennis. I’m coaching women’s tennis at the moment. I’ve been coaching women’s tennis a lot, probably more than men.”
However, he defended the tournament’s approach, arguing that criticism of the organizers was “unfair to Roland Garros.”
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Mouratoglou pointed out that day matches on national television offer greater exposure for female players than night matches, which air on subscription platforms.
“It’s better for women’s tennis for exposure to be during the day than at night,” he said.
Mouratoglou also pointed out that the tournament’s business considerations, explaining that the organizers want to ensure a satisfying experience for ticket holders, with only one match scheduled at night.
“If it’s a women’s match that can be 6-1, 6-1 in one hour, people are going to be extremely unhappy,” he remarked. He acknowledged the structural difference in match lengths, men play best-of-five sets, while women play best-of-three, as a factor in these decisions.
Perhaps his most controversial statement came when he discussed player star power. “People, when they buy a ticket for night, they want to see a superstar,” he said, listing names like Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic.
Mouratoglou then bluntly added, “You cannot compare [Aryna] Sabalenka’s audience with Alcaraz or Novak… If they come back and they say, I saw Świątek, it’s not the same. She’s not a superstar. That’s a fact. She’s not a superstar like Serena [Williams] when she was playing, like [Maria] Sharapova when she was playing.”
Back-2-back Paris semifinals 🔒#RolandGarros @CocoGauff pic.twitter.com/rTr2oo0B13
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 4, 2025
The French coach, who guided Serena Williams to 10 of her 23 Grand Slam titles, used her as an example, noting that during the 2021 French Open, she was the only woman scheduled for a night match. “She’s a superstar. Even if the match lasts one hour, everybody would come back home and say, wow, I’ve seen Serena Williams,” he explained.
In contrast, he argued that current stars like Gauff still have work to do to reach that iconic level: “Even if Coco is big, she will have to win many more slams to become as big.”
Mouratoglou acknowledged the growing demand for equality in tennis, calling it “a big trend” with many positives. However, he urged people to also consider the realities of tournament management.
“You cannot even think that Amélie Mauresmo would try to do something against women’s tennis. Makes no sense,” he said, defending the tournament director. “But she has responsibilities… to make sure the fans are happy, the tournament makes the money that is expected.”
Gauff and Świątek Shared Their Thoughts on French Open Scheduling Debate
Reporters asked Świątek and Gauff about the French Open’s night match scheduling, but neither gave the fiery responses expected. Świątek, the defending champion, said simply, “I understand, but I’m not making the schedule,” and declined to comment further.
Gauff offered a more thoughtful view, noting most women prefer not to play late after a long men’s match.
“There’s only one 8:15 p.m. slot, and I don’t think any girl wants to play after that,” she said.
She added that scheduling varies by tournament and that she wasn’t blaming the organizers, explaining that most events have two-night matches to avoid late starts.
Coco golf is a superstar so is Ika so is Saba link? How do you think they made it to the top get a grip guys on yourself and leave them alone
I’d love Serena Williams the coach where is Osaka? She’ll never be one of the greatest never
With due respect, I do not agree with Couch Mouratoglu. By the time one qualifies to play a professional tennis grand slam match they are, by definition, already a superstar even if they exit in the first round.
Being a great player is different from being a superstar. Presence!!!, Presence!!!, Serena had that. Coco lacks power, so should be using guile, but is not, most at times she presents the ball to the opponent to do as they wish, no clever hard to play balls. Unless her coaches do something about this, she’s not going anywhere
I love watching the women’s snd mfns matches. They are all superstars for the tennis they generally play. I think Coco and Iga are great players..stop downgrading them.