French Tennis Federation Orders Court Changes After Sönmez Suffers 2 Stitches in French Open Fall
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 29
French Tennis Federation Orders Court Changes After Sönmez Suffers 2 Stitches in French Open Fall
10 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 29
Zeynep Sönmez retired from a French Open doubles match on Court No. 6 after tripping over a small courtside ad board, leaving with 2 stitches and a bruised knee.
The French Tennis Federation said it is making adjustments around the playing surface after taking player feedback into account, even though Roland-Garros says its baseline clearance exceeds the 6.4-meter circuit minimum.
Katie Boulter suffered a similar fall over the same type of board a day earlier and posted that the boards "have to go," adding pressure on organizers to act.
Iga Swiatek and Marta Kostyuk also said the setup is unsafe, with Kostyuk saying she recently chose to concede a point rather than risk injury chasing a deep ball.
The incidents have widened scrutiny of how courtside advertising is placed on clay, where players often need extra run-off space to track high, spinning shots.
With record prize money, are French Open organizers prioritizing sponsor profits over player safety?
Will player backlash finally force the French Open to redesign its famously dangerous courts?
Why is Roland-Garros the only Grand Slam with hazardous on-court advertising boards?