Roland Garros has confirmed that it will make adjustments to its court setup following complaints from players about poorly placed advertising boards that have caused injuries. British star Katie Boulter was among those who raised concerns after stumbling over a foot-high Lacoste-branded board during her second-round loss to Anastasia Potapova at the French Open. Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez required stitches and bruised a knee after colliding with a board during her first-round match against Daria Kasatkina.
Four-time Paris champion Iga Swiatek and Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk also called for the boards' removal. On Friday, the advertising appeared to have been moved closer to the rear of the courts following complaints, and tournament officials have now pledged further alterations to ensure player safety. The issue has added to the challenges of the Grand Slam's first week, which has seen matches played in extreme heat. Men's top seed Jannik Sinner suffered a shock second-round defeat on Thursday after having a chance to serve for a straight-sets victory.
Official Statement
In a statement released on Saturday, Roland Garros organisers said: 'The Roland-Garros tournament organisers have taken note of some of the players' feedback regarding the court setup. We have taken this feedback into account and are maintaining ongoing communication with the players and their teams. The stadium complex was modernised during the 2018/2019 season. All Roland-Garros courts currently exceed the international circuit minimum requirements regarding the distance between the baseline and the back of the court, which is set at 6.4 metres. However, the tournament's priority remains the well-being of the players taking part. With this in mind, and based on our own observations, adjustments are currently being made to the area around the playing surface.'
Player Reactions
Boulter made her feelings clear on social media after her three-set loss to Potapova, writing: 'THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO. Got lucky last night but next time I might not be…' Sonmez quoted Boulter's post and added: 'I stand with Katie. 5 incidents in 5 days. I left the court with 2 stitches and a bruised knee. Thankfully, it wasn’t worse. Do we really have to wait until a player is seriously injured before these courtside boards are removed? Player safety must come first.'
Further issues arose when Belgium's Alexander Blockx was forced to withdraw from the men's singles after spraining his right ankle on a tarpaulin rain cover at the Jean Bouin practice facility near Roland Garros. Blockx mentioned hearing 'a snap' in his ankle, sarcastically blaming the 'really necessary' covers, before editing his post to remove the reference.
