Alexander Blockx was seen leaving Roland Garros, hopping on one leg after spraining his ankle on a folded tarp at the back of a practice court. This freak accident forced him to withdraw from his second-round match against Alex De Minaur. He has not recovered in time for Queen’s Club and confirmed his absence from the HSBC Championships. Continuing his breakthrough 2026 season, the grass-court swing had to be the next step for the 21-year-old Belgian, but it has nearly come to an end before beginning.

While practicing at the Jean-Bouin tennis club on May 27, Blockx caught his foot on the backcourt tarpaulins, which are used to cover the court from rain, and heard a snap in his ankle. This forced him to withdraw from his scheduled second-round match against Alex De Minaur.

He began the tournament well, coming through his first-round match against Coleman Wong in three sets, and had a genuine opportunity against the world No. 6 ahead of him. After withdrawing, he posted on Instagram explaining the incident: 

“I unfortunately heard a crack in my ankle when twisting due to the backcourt tarpaulins, which are absolutely essential.” 

The sarcasm in that last line was hard not to notice, and even though Blockx later deleted that reference to the tarp, the frustration over it was widely discussed throughout the tennis world. 

Blockx’s coach confirmed to The Athletic that the team is considering seeking financial compensation from Roland Garros for the damage the injury has caused to his season. It was not a one-time incident, as many players have voiced problems in the past with the potential dangers these tarps can pose. The warnings were too late for the Belgian. He left Paris on crutches to prevent adding weight to the ankle, and posted:

“After discussing everything with the team, the goal is to return at Wimbledon, but we definitely don’t want to take any risks. We’ll work hard to come back as soon as possible.”

Now that goal appears to be in jeopardy. Wimbledon begins on June 29, so Alexander Blockx has just under three weeks to prove his fitness, and the move from Queen’s has removed the one tournament where he could have found match time on grass before the big event. 

Before April, the 21-year-old had no ATP Tour clay-court wins. However, reaching the third round at Monte Carlo and then the semi-finals in Madrid, where he beat four seeded players like Felix Auger-Aliassime and Casper Ruud, propelled him into the top 40 for the first time, registering a 12-5 season record. Withdrawing from Roland Garros was a heavy blow for a player progressing toward a Grand Slam deep run.

He is not the only player to have pulled out of Queen’s Club at the last minute. Jaume Munar is another one who has dropped out, but for very different reasons. Unfortunately, the Mallorcan has been eliminated due to a wisdom tooth issue that is a painful problem in the short term but is unlikely to hinder his chances of going to Wimbledon. 

Blockx’s Queen’s exit raises wider questions about Roland Garros’ safety

The problem with the tarps at Roland Garros was not just about Alexander Blockx. Katie Boulter also had a scare with a tarp during the fortnight, while Zeynep Sonmez was forced to retire in doubles after striking an advertising board.

Roland Garros responded to the mounting criticism with a statement saying that player well-being was their priority and that they had heard players and were making changes around the playing area. The statement didn’t help the shock on Blockx’s part. 

Blockx’s coach, Ruben Bemelmans, stated that the team is looking to get financial compensation from Roland Garros for the damage they caused, but at the moment, no action has been taken. 

There is historical precedent for this route. At the 2017 US Open, the tournament compensated Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard after she suffered a concussion from slipping on a cleaning product in a locker room. Regardless of whether it is a similar claim or not, the first priority is getting him to a place where he’s suitable to play at Wimbledon. 

The grass-court Grand Slam has been his aim since leaving Paris, but as time is running out and with Queen’s out the window, the next two weeks will be the deciding ones on whether or not that goal is achievable. It’s hard to take the way the summer has played out for a 21-year-old, who was one of the true breakout stories of the clay-court season.