Naomi Osaka has been part of the ongoing debate at this year’s French Open surrounding equality.

Osaka lost to Paula Badosa in a blockbuster first round match at the French Open this year, that many thought should have been a night session match.

Night sessions have been a huge debate at the clay court major this year, with the French Open being criticised for not placing women in the slot that is billed as the ‘match of the day’ since 2023.

Osaka’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has spoken on night sessions before and has now suggested what women can do to push for equality.

It is not just fans that have been critical about the selection of night sessions, with Aryna Sabalenka also calling out the French Open.

One of the reasons given for not placing women in the night session by French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo is due to the fact that best-of-three set matches can be finished quickly.

Due to this, the aforementioned Mouratoglou spoke on his Instagram account about whether he thinks women should play best-of-five set matches like the men.

While he admitted this is not something he is bothered about, Mouratoglou claimed that it would ‘make them look good’.

“This night session brings back to the table, the question is do the women should play five sets like men or not during the Grand Slams?” questioned Mouratoglou. “I personally don’t care. I think they’re able to, physically they’re able to.

“In a way it would make them look good. If you want to be treated equally, let’s do it all the way you know. It would be a good also message.

“‘We want to be treated equally and we are prepared to do also to show that we deserve it. We play longer matches, it’s more difficult physically, but we are able to do it and we want to do it’.

“And my take it why not? Women can for sure, they’re able to and in a way when you say ‘I want to be treated equal and I’m prepared to do what it takes’.”

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While women do not play best-of-five set matches in 2025, there was a time in history when that was not the case.

At the US Open between 1891 and 1901, women played best-of-five set matches in the challenge round final.

Best-of-five set matches were also brought back in 1984 for the year-end WTA Finals, with the players in the final playing the longer format.

The final edition of this was in 1998, when Martina Hingis beat Lindsay Davenport in four sets at Madison Square Gardens in New York.

When asked about how she felt playing a best-of-five set match in her press conference, Hingis claimed that she found it fun for the last match of the year.

“When you go into the match you feel like this is the last tournament, last match of the year,” said Hingis. “So I mean, you should be prepared for it, so you go into this tournament like that, that you know once you get to the Finals you have got to play these sets.

“You just try — it is different tactical. I played her two times. You just try to win the first set, otherwise it is hard — I think of men playing, they say the second set is very important, but in women’s I think it is very important to win the first set because then you get like, if it is one-All you start over the match.

“It is like 0-0. Just I have played, I have had good experience to do that, but Lindsay too. But I think it is fun. Once in a while, this is the last match, so whoever is in better shape at the end of the year can make it to the end.”

This was the last time that WTA players competed in a best-of-five set format, with it reportedly coming to an end due to poor television ratings and scheduling difficulties.