Jessica Pegula wades into French Open row and claims chiefs 'don't really care'

The night session schedule has been a contentious topic for years. Not since 2023 has a women's match made it to the primetime 8.15pm slot on Court Philippe-Chatrier, and tournament boss Amelie Maresmo was with reporters for her scheduling decisions on Friday morning.

It prompted - who has already for snubbing women - to paying tribute to the women's game. And now has piled in, saying: "They don't really seem to care."

The world No. 3 had been asked whether she'd seen Jabeur's emotional post, which she hadn't, though she knew exactly what it would be about.

"You mean talking about the sessions? Yeah, I mean, every year it's the same thing. It's never equal. I don't really know what else to say. They don't really seem to care or want to do anything different about it," Pegula said.

"I mean, I agree with her. It should be more fair. We are an event that is supposed to be equal. Slams, it's supposed to be equal. Why not give us some more chances to be?"

However, the American is reluctant to believe anything will change, even though the female players have "proven" they deserve the same opportunities.

She added: "But, you know, again, it feels like just hitting my head against the wall because I feel like we have been talking about this for two, three, four, probably forever, to be honest, because it's never been equal."

A member of the WTA Player Council, Pegula also suggested that Roland Garros bosses didn't want to make any changes.

"I don't feel powerless. I just feel like they don't listen, so I don't know. We can keep saying it. It seems like that's what just keeps happening," she explained.

Pegula's comments come just one day after tournament director Mauresmo was forced to defend her decisions in a heated exchange with the media after being told she sent a message that women and girls were not "worthy".

The retired former No. 1 replied: "For me, the message is not changing and it has never been that girls are not worthy to play at night. It's never been this and I will not accept that you carry this message, that's really clear to me.

"We are talking about potential match length. In this perspective, it is hard to say that the two sets can go really fast when [if it's a men's match] you have three sets minimum so it's one hour and a half, two hours maybe."

Mauresmo hinted that a women's contest could still get prime billing, saying the conversation should be had at the end of the tournament. But she has yet to follow through - in the first eight days of the tournament, all eight night sessions have featured the men.

Since the separate, one-match ticket was introduced in 2021, only four women's clashes have been placed in that position.

"No one's denying the greatness in men's tennis, the fierce battles, the legacies, the magic under pressure," Jabeur penned on Saturday.

"But honouring one side of the sport shouldn't mean ignoring the other. The women's game has been writing its own legacy loudly, brilliantly, and for far too long without full recognition."