Sexism row at Australian Open after organisers ask women to move court

Eurosport analyst Tim Henman questioned why it was the women’s match that was slated to move, rather than the concluding men’s quarter-final

A sexism controversy broke out in Melbourne after Australian Open organisers asked the defending ladies’ champion Aryna Sabalenka if she was prepared to move to a smaller court after another day of scheduling chaos.

The suggestion came after the two previous matches on Rod Laver Arena had both lasted more than three hours, raising the possibility that the schedule might not conclude until well into the small hours of Wednesday morning.

Yet Sabalenka and her quarter-final opponent, the 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova, declined to make the step down from 15,000-seat RLA to 7,500-seat Margaret Court Arena.

The complications around the schedule prompted a sexism debate on Eurosport’s coverage between pundits Tim Henman and John McEnroe.