Aryna Sabalenka faces Naomi Osaka in first women's night match at French Open

World No 1 wins 7-5, 6-3 to reach quarter-finals ‘Really important they put match as night session’ Three years after the Roland Garros organisers last declared a women’s match worthy of being called the best of the day in Paris, the total collapse of one half of the men’s draw and a fourth round between two of the three most successful active women’s players not named Williams finally allowed women to return to centre stage. Finally ushered into the marquee night match on Monday evening, Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka traded nuclear ground strokes in an intense, high-quality slugfest before Sabalenka showed why she remains the best player in the world by elevating her level in the most important moments and marching into the quarter-finals with a hard-fought 7-5, 6-3 win. Continue reading...

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 blockbuster fourth-round encounter between world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka will mark the first women's night match at the French Open since 2023.

Aryna Sabalenka's fourth-round match against Naomi Osaka on Monday will be the first women's match to take place in the French Open's night-time slot since 2023.

Aryna Sabalenka's fourth-round match against Naomi Osaka on Monday will be the first women's match to take place in the French Open's night-time slot since 2023.

The French Open will stage a women's match in its night session for the first time in three years when a pair of four-time Grand Slam champions, Aryna Sabalenka and Naomi Osaka, meet on Monday.