Outspoken Ernests Gulbis claimed on Friday that women should not play professional tennis and that they would be better served having children instead.

Gulbis, whose rollercoaster career has seen him locked up in jail and label the "big four" of men's tennis as boring, made his outburst after reaching the fourth round of the French Open, when he was asked if he would encourage his two sisters to take up the sport.

"Hopefully they will not pursue a professional tennis career," said the 25-year-old Gulbis, the son of one of Latvia's richest men and who once flew to tournaments in a private Lear jet.

"Because for a woman, it's tough. I wouldn't like my sisters to become professional tennis players. It's a tough choice of life.

"A woman needs to enjoy life a little bit more. Needs to think about family, needs to think about kids. What kids can you think about until age of 27 if you're playing professional tennis?"

Maria Sharapova, the sport's highest-profile women's player, said Gulbis' remarks should not be taken too seriously.

"I think he's great entertainment and we love to listen to what he has to say. But you have different opinions. In a way, I think he was joking, but he's playing the sport, so how bad can it be?

"If he felt so bad about it, and even if he's a male, I don't think he'd be playing it.

"I think the sport brings so many opportunities to women. I mean, it's brought me so many things into my life and my career. I don't regret any step that I have taken.

"When I'm playing, I'm in front of thousands of people and the experience that this sport brings, I think, of course I want my kids to do this, this is such a huge lesson in life."

Gulbis' outburst is the latest in a series of controversies that have followed him throughout his career.

It came just after his first run to the last 16 of a major since he made the quarterfinals in Paris in 2008.

Next up is a clash with Roger Federer, one of the men who felt the sharp end of his tongue at Roland Garros in 2013, when he accused the 17-time major winner as well as Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray of "boring the pants off tennis fans."

"I made a lot of bad decisions career-wise," said Gulbis.

There's been a few of those, most notably being jailed for a night in Sweden after being accused of soliciting a prostitute. Before that, he lost his wallet when he took a midnight swim with a girl he had just met in Miami.

"But now I am jumping on the last train. I'm 25, so this is my last opportunity to be really successful. I think I have a good seven or eight more years to play at the top level."

Not scared of Federer

Gulbis, the world No 17, made the French Open last 16 by beating 35-year-old Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in a fractious Court One meeting, firing 19 aces and 45 winners.

Back in the big time after six years which saw his ranking slip to 159 in 2012, Gulbis says he probably would not have acted any differently if he had his time over again.

"I don't regret it at all, because I think in a way I'm in a better position. Maybe not as a tennis player, but as a person ... because I have been through ups and downs," he said.

"Most of the guys who are on top now, they haven't been down a lot. They haven't gone from playing a quarterfinal in a Grand Slam to asking for a wild card in a Challenger."

Against Federer, who he's defeated once in their three meetings, Gulbis said he already has a plan.

"You don't need to be scared to do certain things against him, because most of the people they go on the court and they lose the match before it has started," he said.

"I can tell you that's not gonna be the case with me."

(China Daily 06/01/2014 page11)