Top seed Iga Swiatek says it was "disappointing and surprising" to hear French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo say women's games were not as appealing as men's matches.
Mauresmo, a former world number one, has faced criticism after only one of the 10 night sessions at this year's event was a women's match. She defended her decisions by pointing out that to the crowd and fans, men's matches simply have more appeal.
It's a tricky comment but one is probably true considering the attendance trends in tennis over the years. Asked to comment about it, Swiatek said:
"I think women's tennis has a lot of advantages. It is a little bit disappointing and surprising because she was also in the WTA. From my point of view, for every player it's more convenient to play at a normal hour, but for sure I want to entertain and I also want to show my best tennis in every match."
She continued:
"So I think it's kind of the personal opinion of every person if they like men's tennis or women's tennis more, or if they like them equally. And some may say that it's unpredictable and girls are not consistent. But on the other hand it may also be something that is really appealing and it may really attract more people. So it depends on the personal views of some people."