Katie Boulter has demanded that on-court advertising boards be removed from the French Open because players continue to trip over them while playing at Roland Garros. The former British women’s No. 1 fell over one while playing her second round match against Anastasia Potapova on Court 13 and dropped her racket after returning a shot.
Boulter, 29, won the first set 7-5, but the 28 seed responded by taking the second 6-4 and third 6-2 to set up a match with Coco Gauff in round three. The morning after becoming the last Brit to exit this year’s second Grand Slam, Boulter took to social media and called on the French Tennis Federation, who organise the French Open, to finally remove the obstacles.
She posted on X: “THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO. Got lucky last night but next time I might not be…” That demand came in response to a user sharing images of her falling, with the post also demanding action.
Barely half an hour after Boulter posted, Zeynep Sonmez fell over one just two games into her second-round doubles match with Tatjana Maria against Anhelina Kalinina and Dayana Yastremska. Replying to footage shared of the Turkish player tripping, she said: “Omg! Not again!”
Sonmez ultimately had to retire after suffering a freak injury when falling while attempting to return a ball towards the back of the court. She lost her footing on one of the mini boards, which are triangular prisms like a Toblerone box.
Boulter and Sonmez are not the only players to trip over objects around the court at Roland Garros this year. Alexander Blockx had to withdraw before the main draw even began after claiming to have sprained his ankle on the rolled-up tarpaulin covers surrounding the practice court at the Paris Jean-Bouin club.
He said in a post on Instagram: “Unfortunately, during today’s practice, I heard a snap in my ankle while I sprained it thanks to the ‘really necessary’ covers at the back of the court @rolandgarros, which is why I had to withdraw from tomorrow’s match that I was really looking forward to. A lot of frustration but we move on.” Blockx later removed ” thanks to the ‘really necessary’ covers at the back of the court @rolandgarros” from the message.
The world No. 37’s coach, Ruben Bemelmans, has since told The Athletic that his team could seek compensation. He said: “There should be a solution for that because the courts are very narrow, there’s not much space behind the courts, so in my opinion, it shouldn’t be there, or there should be another solution other than putting them on the ground, because the speed of the game is getting so quick, and I mean the courts there are very, very narrow, there can be other solutions than putting them on the ground.”
The French Tennis Federation has been approached for comment.