Swiatek Urges French Open Court Changes After 5 Incidents in 5 Days

11 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 29

Five incidents in five days pushed Iga Swiatek to demand Roland Garros move or redesign courtside advertising after players tripped over obstacles behind the baseline.
Zeynep Sonmez retired from a doubles match Friday after crashing into a Lacoste board while chasing a lob, later saying she needed 2 stitches and suffered a bruised knee.
Alexander Blockx earlier withdrew after spraining an ankle on rain covers at a practice court, while Katie Boulter said she also tripped on a board and warned the obstacles "have to go."
Roland Garros is unusual among Grand Slams for placing rain covers and sponsor panels behind the baseline, a setup players say is especially risky on clay where they defend from deeper positions.
The safety dispute has resurfaced as Swiatek advances toward a fifth French Open title, though Marta Kostyuk said she doubts the tournament will change its court layout.

With players injured, will the French Open choose safety over its sponsors?

Is a known court flaw at Roland Garros needlessly ending players' title hopes?