Aryna Sabalenka has expressed her hope that French Open organisers will be encouraged to schedule more women's matches in the night session following her impressive victory over Naomi Osaka. The world number one's fourth-round clash marked the first women's night match at Roland Garros in three years and only the fifth since the one-match night session format was introduced in 2021, ending a run of 33 consecutive men's contests.
Sabalenka's Dominant Performance
Sabalenka, the top seed, showcased her class in a 7-5, 6-3 win that lasted one hour and 27 minutes. The Belarusian fired 12 aces, struck powerful backhands, and used drop shots effectively to outplay the four-time Grand Slam champion. This victory extended Sabalenka's streak of reaching at least the quarter-finals in her last 14 major tournaments, keeping her firmly in contention for a first French Open title.
Speaking after the match, Sabalenka emphasised the importance of featuring in the night session. "I think it's really important that they put our match today as a night session. I think that's the right move. The atmosphere and attention this match brought will show them that they should consider putting women's matches at night sometimes in the future. I hope this is the beginning; we've opened that door for women's night sessions," she said.
Tournament Director's Perspective
Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo has previously cited concerns about the length of women's matches and providing value for ticket-holders as reasons for not scheduling them in the night session. However, with the top half of the men's draw lacking expected stars, not scheduling this high-profile match would have been a missed opportunity. Earlier on Monday, Mauresmo acknowledged, "I think this match is the best match of the day. Multiple Grand Slam winners, so it was obvious for us this should be the night session."
Osaka's Reaction
Naomi Osaka, who was playing in her first French Open night session, described the experience as "really cool." She added, "Obviously she's really good for tennis. I would hope I'm OK for tennis, too. It was really fun to play." Osaka insisted she felt no extra pressure to deliver a spectacle, saying, "You don't want to be beaten 6-0, 6-0 anywhere. Shout out to the tournament for trusting us. I hope it was entertaining."
Upcoming Matches
Sabalenka will next face Russia's Diana Shnaider, who reached her first Grand Slam quarter-final by defeating former Australian Open champion Madison Keys 6-3, 3-6, 6-0. Another quarter-final will see Russian 22nd seed Anna Kalinskaya take on Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska. Kalinskaya matched her best major result by beating Anastasia Potapova in a deciding tie-break, while Chwalinska ended French hopes with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Diane Parry. Chwalinska, who had worried about funding her extended hotel stay, is now guaranteed at least €470,000 (approximately £406,000), nearly quintupling her career prize money.
