Patrick Mouratoglou, coach of Naomi Osaka, has ignited debate by addressing the controversy over the French Open’s scheduling, specifically the absence of women’s matches during prime-time night sessions. His comments focused on the perceived star power of current female players, including Coco Gauff and Iga Świątek, amid growing criticism of the tournament’s gender bias in match scheduling.

Patrick Mouratoglou Addresses Star Power and Night Session Scheduling at the French Open

The French Open, held at Roland-Garros, has faced longstanding criticism for its apparent gender bias in night match scheduling, with 8:15 p.m. slots on Court Philippe-Chatrier regularly reserved for men’s singles. This practice has drawn scrutiny as it reduces visibility for women’s tennis during the tournament’s most watched time slot. Mouratoglou commented on this issue in an Instagram video titled Are Night Sessions Really Gender-Biased?, calling it

a big debate at the moment.

He reaffirmed his strong support for women’s tennis, stating,

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.

Despite his support, Mouratoglou defended Roland-Garros, describing criticism of the scheduling as unfair. He explained that daytime matches broadcast on national television offer greater exposure for female players compared to night sessions, which often air on subscription-based networks. According to him,

It’s better for women’s tennis for exposure to be during the day than at night,

highlighting the trade-offs organizers face in balancing visibility and viewer access.

Mouratoglou also stressed the importance of the event experience for ticket holders, noting that scheduling a quick women’s match late at night could disappoint the audience. He explained,

If it’s a women’s match that can be 6-1, 6-1 in one hour, people are going to be extremely unhappy,

touching on the difference in match formats—men play best-of-five sets, while women play best-of-three—as a factor in scheduling decisions.

However, the coach’s most contentious remarks came regarding the star status of WTA players. Mouratoglou argued,

People, when they buy a ticket for night, they want to see a superstar,

pointing to male stars such as Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. He continued,

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.

Drawing on his experience coaching Serena Williams to 10 Grand Slam titles, Mouratoglou used her as an example of a true superstar who justified night scheduling. He recalled how, during the 2021 French Open, Serena was the only woman granted a night match, and said,

She’s a superstar. Even if the match lasts one hour, everybody would come back home and say, wow, I’ve seen Serena Williams,

underscoring the unmatched draw she commanded.

In comparison, Mouratoglou stated that younger players like Coco Gauff still need to secure more major titles to reach that distinguished level, noting,

Even if Coco is big, she will have to win many more slams to become as big.

While recognizing the growing call for equality in tennis, Mouratoglou described this as a big trend with positive elements, but also urged consideration of the complex realities tournament organizers face. Defending Roland-Garros tournament director Amélie Mauresmo, he said,

You cannot even think that Amélie Mauresmo would try to do something against women’s tennis. Makes no sense,

and affirmed,

But she has responsibilities… to make sure the fans are happy, the tournament makes the money that is expected.

Players Respond to Scheduling Issues at the French Open

When questioned by reporters about the scheduling controversy, defending champion Iga Świątek and Coco Gauff did not provide strong criticisms. Świątek expressed acceptance of the situation, saying,

I understand, but I’m not making the schedule,

and chose not to elaborate further.

Coco Gauff offered a practical perspective, highlighting logistical concerns in scheduling female players late in the evening after lengthy men’s matches. She explained,

There’s only one 8:15 p.m. slot, and I don’t think any girl wants to play after that,

emphasizing the challenge of late start times. Gauff also mentioned that most tournaments arrange two night matches to avoid excessively late beginnings and clarified that she does not hold organizers responsible for the current French Open format.

The ongoing debate around the Coco Gauff French Open scheduling controversy underscores tensions between player visibility, fan expectations, and tournament logistics. As the discussion continues, tennis authorities and organizers face mounting pressure to balance competitive fairness, commercial interests, and the evolving status of women’s tennis stars on the global stage.