Katie Boulter has demanded that on-court advertising boards be removed from the French Open after a series of incidents where players tripped over them. The British tennis star fell over one during her second-round match against Anastasia Potapova on Court 13, dropping her racket after returning a shot.
Boulter, 29, lost the match 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, becoming the last British player to exit this year's tournament. The following morning, she took to social media to call on the French Tennis Federation to remove the obstacles, posting on X: 'THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO. Got lucky last night but next time I might not be…'
Within half an hour of Boulter's post, Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez fell over one of the triangular prism-shaped boards during her second-round doubles match. She later retired after suffering a freak injury. Boulter responded to footage of the incident, saying: 'Omg! Not again!'
Other players have also been affected. Alexander Blockx withdrew before the main draw after claiming he sprained his ankle on rolled-up tarpaulin covers at a practice court. His coach, Ruben Bemelmans, told The Athletic that the team may seek compensation, stating: 'There should be a solution... the courts are very narrow... there can be other solutions than putting them on the ground.'
The French Tennis Federation has been approached for comment but has not yet responded.
