Overview
- The tournament scheduled Naomi Osaka to play Aryna Sabalenka in the Court Philippe-Chatrier night slot on Sunday, May 31, 2026, the first women's single-match night at Roland Garros since 2023.
- Organisers made the move after a string of early exits and absences among leading men, leaving fewer obvious candidates for the single-match primetime slot.
- WTA chief Valerie Camillo pressed tournament director Amelie Mauresmo for more prime-time women's exposure and met with her at Roland Garros before the decision was made.
- Mauresmo has defended the usual practice by saying a best-of-three women's match can end quickly and may not offer value for single-ticket buyers, a core operational objection organisers still hold.
- Coverage notes inconsistent historical counts of women's night matches since 2021 and the match will be watched as a possible test case for whether the French Open will change its night-session policy and TV/ticketing approach.