Article by David Istrate – published on Saturday, 07 June 2025, 15:28 / Updated on Saturday, 07 June 2025 15:34
Patrick Mouratoglou (54 years old), Naomi Osaka's coach (27, 49 WTA), had a controversial statement about one of the most debated topics from the current edition of Roland Garros, namely, scheduling matches in the female circuit in the first part of the day.
Over the two weeks in which Roland Garros took place, several players, including Aryna Sabalenka (27, 1 WTA) or Ons Jabeur (30 years old, 36 WTA)criticized the organizers Roland Garros because they avoided scheduling parties from the female circuit in the evening sessions.
The athletes claimed that they also deserve the same level of attention as their colleagues in the male circuit, while Amelie Mauremo, the director of the Paris tournament, has been defended by saying that the difference between the number of sets between an ATP match and a WTA is the argument for which this decision is taken.
Patrick Mouratoglou: “You cannot compare Sabalenka's audience with that of Alcaraz or Novak”
Patrick Mouratoglou, former coach of Simona Halep, had a controversial statement in which he held the current status quo, offered arguments for the decision of organizers Roland Garros and talked about IGA Swiak.
People who complain about the fact that there are no matches in the female circuit in the evening session think they are incorrect towards Roland Garros. Why? First of all, there is more exposure in the daytime matches than in the evening because they appear on national television. The audience is huge compared to those platforms, so it is better for exposure of female tennis to be the day, not evening.
When you are the director of a tour, you have to thank the fans and do a good deal, that's your job. They have only one match in the evening and, if a party between women, it can be 6-1, 6-1 in an hour. People will be extremely unhappy.
It's a fact that men play 5 sets and women play 3 sets, we need to consider that. When buying a ticket for the evening session, they want to see an superstar. In the female circuit, there is Coco, Sabalenka, but you cannot compare Sabalenk's audience with that of Alcaraz or Novak.
Most people who go to the stadium are not focused fans of tennis-they want to return home and say “I saw Djokovic” or “I saw Alcaraz.” If they return home and say “I saw Swiak”, it's not the same.
It's not just players who drive like Iga Swiak, who has won four times, three times in a row. She was not a star like Serena or Sharapova when they played.
In 2021, we trained Serena and scheduled her in the evening session, it was just a match in the programmed female circuit. She's a star. Even though it lasted an hour, people went home and said “Wow, I saw Serena Williams”
– Patrick Mouratoglouaccording to tennis365.com
Iga Swiak, defeated in the semifinals at Roland Garros Photo: Guliver/Gettyimages
