The 2025 edition of the French Open has concluded, and few could argue that it has not been a raging success.
After all, it has had everything, spoiled for entertainment and capped off by two stellar finals against the top two men and women in the world.
On the men’s side in particular, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played out a match that will likely go down as the greatest in Grand Slam final history.
Meanwhile, there were three players who shocked everyone at Roland Garros, surpassing all expectations with their respective runs too.
The Roland Garros tournament director, Amelie Mauresmo, will have been delighted with how it all played out.
Amelie Mauresmo on how women can secure the French Open night match spots
Now speaking to the press after the French Open’s official conclusion, the controversial director sought to field some questions following what has been a turbulent two weeks.
However, Mauresmo has put on quite the show, and has been blessed with some supreme performances which might overshadow some of the tournament’s controversy.
She did address one of the outstanding ones, stating: ‘Well, what I’m thinking and yes, the other time when we spoke, I always talk about the length of the matches, men compared to women.
‘I also said that the entertainment is there in both cases, and I think we wouldn’t be having this conversation if we would have the same format for both games, because in my opinion, it’s the length, or the possible length of the match that is making it hard for us in terms of scheduling.
‘I’m just saying that if we had the same format, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
That’s what I’m saying.’
Women’s matches that were excluded from French Open night matches
Given not a single women’s match was selected for the prime nighttime slot, any from the entire tournament could have been selected.
However, there were a few absolute blockbusters that were snubbed, ironically which ended up going on longer than some of the men’s matches on the same day.
Iga Światek’s monumental match-up against Elena Rybakina was a big one ignored, pitting the reigning champion against a former Wimbledon champion.
But, perhaps more ridiculously, Swiatek’s semi-final clash with Aryna Sabalenka was another not chosen to occupy that space, despite it arguably being one of the most hotly-anticipated clashes in the women’s game.
Madison Keys played Coco Gauff in a huge all-American affair, but their claim was denied. Even Jessica Pegula’s match against hometown hero Lois Boisson was snubbed too.
There were more than enough opportunities to be smart with the selection and include at least a couple of these huge clashes, yet the schedulers were stubborn in their stance on the matter. Time on court trumps quality.
