Jabeur's tremendous outburst against the shifts at Roland Garros: "I hope whoever makes the decision doesn't have daughters.."

Fernando Murciego | 28 May 2025 | 10.30

Ons Jabeur criticized the schedules of Roland Garros. Source: Getty

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It has been several years since Roland Garros introduced a star match in the night session, a match that has always been exclusively male. Is it because they play best-of-five sets? That could be a valid answer, but it's a debate that has been ongoing since the tournament started last Sunday. Every woman who has gone through the press conferences has had to address this issue, although not all have expressed their opinions as strongly. Ons Jabeur, after being eliminated in the first round this Tuesday, was one of the most critical of the organization, acknowledging that they are partly to blame for the lack of recognition in women's tennis.

A Defeat That Isn't Surprising

“I didn't expect much from this tournament, I didn't come in with many matches under my belt, yet I did the best I could. Unfortunately, this is what happens when you're not at your best in crucial moments, you don't win the points. Right now, I want to focus on my health and everything surrounding it. It's very tough to get injured and come back, I feel like this time has been harder than the others. I will keep trying and doing what I do; I'm putting a lot of work into it. Of course, it's tough when you don't get the results, but that's tennis, it's part of the game. I hope this difficult period passes soon; I need to rest and look at things from a different perspective to understand what's happening. It's evident that right now there are many things not working”.

No Women's Matches in the Night Session

“I have the same opinion as last year; it's sad that everything remains the same. I stand by my words, it's regrettable for women's sports, not for sports in general, but for women's sports overall. I hope whoever makes this decision doesn't have daughters because I don't think they would want to treat them like this. It's a bit ironic. They don't showcase women's sports, they don't showcase women's tennis, and then they ask, 'What you see the most is men's sports.' Of course, people see more men, because they are given more visibility. Everything fits together that way. It's a shame that the Federation and Prime signed a contract like this. It was expected that Iga and Naomi would have been there last year, there are many great matches that should have been there, so I don't know which types of fans they are referring to. I, as a fan, would definitely go and watch those matches”.

Expectations Do Not Help

“When you reach the quarterfinals of Roland Garros twice, what you want is to make it to the semifinals or reach the final. You don't want to suffer a defeat in the first round, but this is part of tennis. I didn't expect much from this tournament because I wasn't ready for tennis, especially due to my physical condition. It's true that I'm feeling better than a week and a half ago, but it's demanding a lot from me; I can't achieve it overnight. Mentally, I'm going through a tough time, but it's part of the game. I don't want to be like those people who are so affected by the results, so I'll keep working hard, finding new solutions. The ones I've tried so far haven't worked, but it's tennis, in the end, you win or lose, only one can be the winner”.

Thinking About the Next Tour

“I hope the grass tour can change things, or at least improve them. Regardless of the surface I play on, I'll continue to give my all; I have to push myself to the limit to see what happens. I love grass, you know that, so this will be a different tour for me. I hope to enjoy playing on grass as much as I have in recent years”.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tremenda rajada de Jabeur contra los turnos de Roland Garros: “Espero que quien tome la decisión no tenga hijas…”