French Open organizers said they would “adjust the area around the stadium” after players complained about the placement of billboards.
Katie Boulter and other leading players have called for action after a series of incidents and injuries on the courts of Roland Garros.
Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sönmez was forced to leave the women’s doubles match on Friday after being caught by a billboard while trying to return a ball from the back of the court.
The 24-year-old suffered no major injuries after the fall, but added to X: “I left the court with two stitches and a bruised knee. Luckily it wasn’t any worse.”
Zeynep Sönmez tripped over a billboard at the French Open on Friday.
Boulter also fell on a hoarding after clipping her heel into a billboard at the back of the court during her second-round singles loss to Anastasia Potapova on Thursday. She was attempting to shoot when the incident occurred.
Both boards bore the name of Lacoste, the official partner of the French Open.
Britain’s number three went to X on Friday and wrote: “These things have to go. (I was) lucky last night, but next time I might not be.”
Sönmez added: “I stand with Katie. Should we wait until a player is seriously injured before removing courtside boards?
“Player safety is our top priority.”
Responding to players’ reactions, French Open bosses explained that “adjustments are currently being made to the area around the playing surface”.
Iga Swiatek, a four-time women’s singles champion, was another person who called for the boards to be removed, explaining that the problem could be resolved if bosses moved the advertising elsewhere.
“Obviously when something like this happens there has to be a reaction, because there are other ways to make sure we are seen, you know?” Switek said.
“Sometimes it’s hard to judge. On clay courts, the ball flies higher, so sometimes you need more space and you can utilize the court a little more with spin and things like that.”
“The Roland-Garros tournament organizers have recorded feedback from some players regarding the court setup,” the French Tennis Federation (FFT) said in a statement.
“We have taken this feedback into consideration and are maintaining ongoing communication with players and teams.
“The stadium complex was modernized during the 2018/2019 season. All Roland-Garros courts now exceed the international circuit minimum requirement of 6.4 meters for the distance between the baseline and the back of the court.
“However, the top priority for the tournament is the wellbeing of the players taking part. With this in mind and based on our own observations, adjustments are currently being made to the area surrounding the playing surface.”
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