The French Open has a serious problem on its hands, and British tennis star Katie Boulter is not staying quiet about it. After a scary fall during her second-round match on Thursday night, Boulter is calling for an immediate overhaul of the court-side advertising at Roland Garros.
Boulter was competing against Anastasia Potapova on Court 13 when she tripped over a Lacoste advertising block positioned dangerously close to the baseline. She lost the match 7-5, 4-6, 2-6, but the real concern is that she could have suffered a catastrophic injury. Fans watching the match were quick to voice their anger, with some even suggesting that Boulter should consider legal action against the tournament organizers.
“Roland Garros really deserves to be sued, she was lucky it wasn’t something serious but for real… what’s the point of those things on court? Write the name Lacoste on that banner behind and that’s it, they risk player’s health for sponsors,” one fan wrote on social media.
Another fan pointed out that this wasn't an isolated incident: “Accident waiting to happen. I was actually watching the Darderi match at the same time as Katie’s match and he stood on one of them at exactly the same time as Katie tripped over one. Could have been a lot worse for her.”
Boulter took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday morning to make her feelings crystal clear. “THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO,” she posted. “Got lucky last night but next time I might not be…” Her message was accompanied by a link to a video of her fall, and it quickly gained traction among players and fans alike.
Unfortunately, Boulter’s warning proved prophetic. Just hours later, Turkish star Zeynep Sonmez was injured during a doubles match after tripping over the exact same type of advertising sign. Sonmez, 24, required medical attention for roughly 10 minutes before being forced to retire from the match. She later revealed the extent of her injury: “I stand with Katie. Five incidents in five days. I left the court with two stitches and a bruised knee. Thankfully, it wasn’t worse.”
The incident has reignited debates about player safety at major tournaments. This isn't the first time Roland Garros has faced scrutiny—earlier this week, a misogynistic rant got a men's tennis player fined, adding to the negative headlines surrounding the event. Meanwhile, the tournament has also seen Ben Shelton's early exit leave fans crushed, and Jakub Mensik collapse in the heat after a five-set thriller. Now, the focus is squarely on the dangerous advertising blocks that seem to be an accident waiting to happen.
As the French Open continues, the pressure is mounting on tournament officials to address this issue. Players are united in their demand for change, and with multiple incidents in just five days, the message is clear: these advertising blocks have to go before someone gets seriously hurt.
