Roland Garros have confirmed that they will “make adjustments” to their courts following complaints from a number of players over poorly-placed advertising boards that have left at least one player injured.
British star Katie Boulter is among those to have aired grievances having stumbled on a foot-high Lacoste-branded board during her second-round loss to Anastasia Potapova at the French Open. The young Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez required stitches and bruised a knee having also collided with a board when bowing out to Daria Kasatkina in the opening round.
Iga Swiatek, a four-time winner in Paris, and Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk are among those to have also called for the boards’ removal.
On Friday it appeared as if the advertising had been moved closer to the rear of the courts following complaints but now tournament officials have said that they will make alterations to ensure the safety of players going forward.
It has proven another hindrance for players during the Grand Slam’s first week with many matches being played in searing heat. The overwhelming men’s singles favourite Jannik Sinner was handed a shock defeat in the second round on Thursday having had a chance to serve for a straight-sets victory.
“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,” their statement released on Saturday said.
“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.”
Boulter had made her feelings clear in a post on X following the three-set loss to Potapova, writing in response to a message from a supporter: “THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO. Got lucky last night but next time I might not be… “
Somnez later quoted Boulter’s post to make her views clear, writing: “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 have saw Belgium’s Alexander Blockx forced to withdraw from the men’s singles earlier this week when he sprained his right ankle after landing on the tarpaulin rain cover at the Jean Bouin practice facility close to Roland Garros.
Blockx mentioned how he “heard a snap” in his ankle, noting sarcastically that it was the fault of the “really necessary” covers, before editing the post to remove reference to the covers.
