French Open organizers to make ‘adjustments’ to on-court advertising boards after calls for action from Katie Boulter and other players tennis news

French Open organizers said they would make “adjustments to the area around the playing surface” after players complained about the placement of advertising boards.

Katie Boulter and other leading players have called for action after a series of incidents and injuries on court at Roland Garros.

Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sonmez was forced to retire from her women’s doubles match on Friday when she fell on an advertising board while trying to return a shot backcourt.

The 24-year-old didn’t suffer major injuries after the fall but added to X: “I walked off the court with 2 stitches and a bruised knee. Thankfully, it wasn’t that bad.”

Boulter fell on hoardings during her second-round singles loss to Anastasia Potapova on Thursday after catching her ankle on an advertising board behind the court. He was trying to play a shot when the incident happened.

Both boards bear the name of Lacoste, the official partner of the French Open.

The British No 3 wrote on X on Friday: “These things have got to go. (I) got lucky last night, but next time I might not.”

Sönmez added: “I stand with Katie. Do we really have to wait until a player is seriously injured before removing these courtside boards?

“Player safety must come first.”

In response to the players, French Open officials explained “adjustments are currently being made to the area around the playing surface”.

Four-time women’s singles champion Iga Suatek is another who has called for the boards to be removed, explaining that the problem could be solved if the authorities moved the advertising hoardings elsewhere.

“Obviously, when these things happen, there needs to be a response, because we definitely have other ways to be visible, you know?” Suatek Dr.

“It’s hard to judge sometimes. Obviously, on a clay court sometimes we need more space because the balls are flying higher and you can use the court a little bit more with the spin and everything.”

The French Tennis Federation (FFT) said in a statement: “The organizers of the Roland-Garros tournament have noted the reactions of some players regarding the court setup.

“We have taken this feedback into consideration and are maintaining ongoing communication with the players and their teams.

“The stadium complex was modernized 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 meters.

“However, the tournament’s priority is the well-being of the participating players. With this in mind and based on our own observations, adjustments are currently being made to the area around the playing surface.”

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