ATP WTA GS Roland Garros 5/25 - 6/8 2025

[mmmm8]

There was more b**ching and moaning among tennis folks today on Bluesky because of Rune playing a man ranked #128 in the world if I remember correctly. I asked given the choices of women's matches to be played today which one had enough juice to be the night match. So far no answer. Owen is correct. The current crop just doesn't have the star power of their predecessors.

I do think it's a the chicken or the egg problem. I'd have about as little interest in the Rune match. If they don't promote women, no one knows who they are.

[ponchi101]

...

Then start the night session earlier to fit 2 matches.

And then you will go the US Open way, with women playing the second match sometimes in an empty stadium because the men's match went 5 sets and people left.
These scheduling problems will never go away because the sport's nature is like that. It is not a timed sport; we don't know if it will be a great match that last three hours, or a dud that last 75 minutes.
How about is you star ALL matches later and play several night matches? It would also be easier for the players (I have never been able to understand how a professional athlete has to start the day at 0600, because she has a match at 1100.

[mick1303]

There was more b**ching and moaning among tennis folks today on Bluesky because of Rune playing a man ranked #128 in the world if I remember correctly. I asked given the choices of women's matches to be played today which one had enough juice to be the night match. So far no answer. Owen is correct. The current crop just doesn't have the star power of their predecessors.

I do think it's a the chicken or the egg problem. I'd have about as little interest in the Rune match. If they don't promote women, no one knows who they are.

I find it hard to believe that scheduling on the certain show courts plays any role in determining if tennis fans know (or don't know) players. TV/Internet audience exceeds live audience by the order of two or even more. And with streaming from almost all the courts now it does not matter whether the players plays day or night match - the TV/Internet audience will be the same. Add the fact that in this particular conversation we are talking top male players vs top female players. They are all already known. Scheduling them for the night match does not change anything here.

[mmmm8]

...

Then start the night session earlier to fit 2 matches.

And then you will go the US Open way, with women playing the second match sometimes in an empty stadium because the men's match went 5 sets and people left.
These scheduling problems will never go away because the sport's nature is like that. It is not a timed sport; we don't know if it will be a great match that last three hours, or a dud that last 75 minutes.
How about is you star ALL matches later and play several night matches? It would also be easier for the players (I have never been able to understand how a professional athlete has to start the day at 0600, because she has a match at 1100.

The US Open I think now switch each day between men's/women's match being first. I've seen (and left) a lot of emptying Ashe night sessions for men's third sets as well.

[mmmm8]

There was more b**ching and moaning among tennis folks today on Bluesky because of Rune playing a man ranked #128 in the world if I remember correctly. I asked given the choices of women's matches to be played today which one had enough juice to be the night match. So far no answer. Owen is correct. The current crop just doesn't have the star power of their predecessors.

I do think it's a the chicken or the egg problem. I'd have about as little interest in the Rune match. If they don't promote women, no one knows who they are.

I find it hard to believe that scheduling on the certain show courts plays any role in determining if tennis fans know (or don't know) players. TV/Internet audience exceeds live audience by the order of two or even more. And with streaming from almost all the courts now it does not matter whether the players plays day or night match - the TV/Internet audience will be the same. Add the fact that in this particular conversation we are talking top male players vs top female players. They are all already known. Scheduling them for the night match does not change anything here.

I do think prime time in the home country still matters: 1) People prefer to watch matches on TV live; 2) People in the home country/region who are casual fans tend to watch the home slam even if mostly not watching tennis the rest of the year.

I also don't think the non-hardcore fans know that many the players ranked 7+ unless they're a former multi-slam winner. Like, i don't think even a serious casual fan could pick a Paolini or a de Minauer out of a lineup, but if you show them de Minauer 5 times and Paolini zero times, eventually, more people will know who de Minauer is.

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

With an open heart, I read it. A fine piece.
Let me now digest it.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

Very good "mother" move.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ashkor87]

Djokovic doing a good impersonation of Djokovic

[mick1303]

If Djokovic struggles for motivation and in search of a proper goals, I can give him quite a juicy target. Currently there are only two players in history, who achieved triple digits in matches won at particular slam. Rafa has 112 win at RG, Roger has 102 at Oz and 105 at Wimby. Novak so far has none, but it is realistic for him to reach this in 3 slams. With a win against Norrie he will have 100 wins at RG. He also 1 win shy at Australian Open (currently 99) and 3 wins shy at Wimbledon. Only US Open (90 wins) looks somewhat out of reach.

[JTContinental]

According to my unofficial research, there hasn't been an American man in the French Open QFs since Andre Agassi in 2003, and the last time there were two was 1996 (Sampras and Courier).