Aryna Sabalenka abruptly ended her post-match press conference in Paris today as players at the French Open escalated their dispute over scheduling. The world number two was visibly frustrated when questioned about the tournament's late-night matches, a sore point for competitors who say gruelling timetables are harming their performance and health.
Sabalenka, who advanced to the quarter-finals after a straight-sets victory over Elina Svitolina, walked out of the media room after just three minutes. “I'm sorry, but I cannot continue,” she said, her voice tight with anger. “We have been speaking about this for years. Nothing changes.” Her departure came just hours after a group of players, including Novak Djokovic and Iga Swiatek, issued a joint statement demanding the French Tennis Federation (FFT) revise the schedule for nighttime sessions.
The protest marks the latest front in a wider battle over working conditions in professional tennis. Players argue that matches starting after 10 p.m., sometimes finishing after 1 a.m., disrupt sleep, recovery, and family life. For those living on the edge of the sport, erratic scheduling also hits earnings. Lower-ranked players rely on appearance fees and prize money, but late matches reduce recovery time and increase injury risk. “It's not just about the top stars,” said one anonymous player. “The rest of us can't afford to lose a day of practice because we were up until 3 a.m.”
The FFT has defended the late starts, citing broadcast demands, but critics say the real cost is borne by athletes. The issue cuts deep in a sport where prize money for early-round losers is modest, even at a Grand Slam. For a player who loses in the first round at Roland Garros, the €69,000 cheque sounds generous but must cover coaches, travel, and accommodation. A disrupted schedule can mean losing a training day, which for someone on the margins can be the difference between climbing the rankings or slipping further down.
This is not the first time Sabalenka has spoken out. She made similar comments at the Australian Open in January, and her walkout today signals rising anger. The protest – coordinated via WhatsApp – is turning into a test of player solidarity. Djokovic, who heads the Professional Tennis Players’ Association, has been vocal. “We are not cogs in a machine,” he said in a statement. “The schedule must serve the players, not the broadcasters.”
The timing is significant. With the French Open now into its second week, fatigue is setting in. Rain delays have forced even more matches to be squeezed into evening slots. For players, the mental toll is adding to the physical. “You prepare all year for a Grand Slam, then you are playing chess at midnight,” said one coach. “It’s not sport, it’s survival.”
The dispute highlights a deeper tension in the game – between the business of tennis and the people who make it. For the working class kids from Minsk or the industrial towns of England, tennis is a route out of poverty. But the rigours of the tour – the endless travel, the late nights, the pressure – are pushing many to breaking point. Sabalenka’s walkout felt like a symbol of that strain.
As the press conference room emptied, reporters whispered about whether the players would boycott a night session. The FFT has not responded to the protest, but the issue is not going away. For now, the conversation has moved from the locker room to the front pages. And for the players, that is at least a start.
