Sabalenka vs. Osaka to be 1st women’s night match at the French Open in 3 years

PARIS (AP) — The high-profile fourth-round matchup between top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and fellow four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka on Monday will be the first women’s night match at the French Open in three years.

Roland Garros organizers have been criticized for scheduling only men’s matches under the lights in recent years, with organizers saying they are under pressure from TV broadcasters and that women’s best-of-three set matches are too short compared to the best-of-five format for men.

It will be only the fifth women’s match in the five years since the night sessions were introduced in Paris.

The last women’s match at night also involved Sabalenka, when she beat Sloane Stephens in 2023.

“YOLO,” Osaka said when asked on Saturday if her match against Sabalenka deserved to be held at night, using the abbreviation for “You only live once.”

Osaka has been putting on a fashion show for her walk-ons before each match of the tournament.

Sabalenka leads 2-1 in career meetings with Osaka, who has reached the fourth round in Paris for the first time.

“I’m just ready for the fight,” Sabalenka said. “It’s great to see her back on her level. … I really enjoy our battles. It’s high-level matches, and I really enjoy when somebody push me to the limit.”

The match is scheduled to start at 8:15 p.m. local time.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis