Just days ago, the French Open was rocked by controversy when Alexander Blockx saw his campaign end despite winning his first-round match. An unfortunate ankle injury, which he initially suggested was linked to the ‘rain covers’ in the practice court in a later-edited Instagram caption, sparked widespread debate across the tennis world. Now, with Zeynep Sonmez caught in a strikingly similar incident, Martina Navratilova has stepped into the storm and aimed sharp criticism at the French Open authorities.

“Been talking about them for DECADES. They have always been dangerous, but now being metal are even worse. The court is no longer big enough. But it should never be dangerous…” Martina Navratilova recently shared her thoughts on her X account while reposting a tweet from Zeynep Sonmez.

Sonmez had posted video footage showing the moment she suffered an injury during her second-round doubles match in Paris. The Turkish player tripped over a courtside advertising board and fell heavily.

Alongside the footage, Sonmez also voiced her frustration over the situation. “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,” her initial tweet said.

The incident occurred on Friday during a difficult time of the match. While chasing down a lob, Sonmez ran into one of the Lacoste advertising boards positioned behind the court.

The collision sent her crashing to the clay immediately. Medical staff of the tournament were called onto the court as concerns immediately grew about the extent of the injury.

After taking a medical timeout, Sonmez attempted to continue. However, alongside her doubles partner Tatjana Maria, she was eventually forced to retire from their match against Dayana Yastremska and Anhelina Kalinina.

Navratilova’s support for Sonmez followed similar concerns raised by Britain’s Katie Boulter. The British star had narrowly avoided a serious injury during her singles match a day earlier against Anastasia Potapova.

Boulter later re-shared images which a fan posted on X and criticized the placement of the advertising structures. She believed the boards created an unnecessary danger for players competing at the tournament.

“These things have to go,” Boulter wrote. “[I] got lucky last night but next time I might not be,” she shared while the images show when she fell off the court after her leg smashed with Lacoste advertising in the court.

The complaints from players and fans quickly gathered momentum. As pressure increased, Roland Garros officials were eventually forced to respond to the criticism.

In their statement, tournament organizers defended the current court dimensions. “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 Roland Garros authorities also acknowledged the growing concerns. “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.” 

Now, with Navratilova publicly backing the players, more voices continue to join the discussion, and the controversy surrounding court safety in Paris only appears to be intensifying.

Iga Swiatek urges removal of advertising boards over safety concerns

While the Polish ace Iga Swiatek has safely progressed into the fourth round of Roland Garros, she has also become one of the leading voices speaking out about the growing safety concerns at the French Open.

“I didn’t see the incidents, but I heard about them,” Swiatek added when asked about the controversy. The four-time Roland Garros champion made it clear that player safety should come first.

“Obviously if these things happen, there needs to be a reaction, because there are other ways for us to be visible for sure, you know?” she added.

Swiatek later expanded on her concerns and suggested that changes should be made. “It’s a shame – I hope they’re going to put them in a different place or just put the advertising in a different way there, because it’s not safe for sure,” said Swiatek.

And to be honest, incidents involving objects around the court are not entirely new at the Parisian clay. Similar concerns have surfaced in previous years as well.

One of the most unfortunate examples came nine years ago involving David Goffin, who is set to retire from professional tennis at the end of this season. While chasing down a ball at 5-4 against Horacio Zeballos, Goffin’s right foot became trapped beneath the rolled-up court covers before he crashed into the wall and a linesman’s chair.

The Belgian was unable to continue the match and later had to be helped off the court by two officials. He eventually retired from the match in the locker room due to the injury.

Now, more former players are joining the discussion. Andy Roddick recently voiced his concerns on his podcast, arguing that the structures serve little purpose beyond sponsorship visibility. “To be clear, the boxes serve no purpose. These boxes, that the umpires put their little feet in, they don’t do anything. It’s purely for advertising. Purely,” he added. 

With criticism continuing to grow and player frustration becoming increasingly visible, it will be interesting to see how the Roland Garros authorities respond to the mounting pressure in the days ahead.