Iga Swiatek called on the French Open to change the layout of its courts after a week of falls, cuts and retirements linked to advertising boards and rain covers at Roland Garros. The world No 3 said there needed to be a reaction after multiple incidents, adding that the tournament could still be visible to sponsors in safer ways.
Her comments came after a straight-sets win over Viktorija Golubic, as players searched for answers to a problem that has already left several of them hurt. Zeynep Sonmez ran into a Lacoste advertising board at the back of the court on Friday while chasing down a lob, then retired with Tatjana Maria from their second-round doubles match against Dayana Yastremska and Anhelina Kalinina while trailing 2-0. Sonmez later said she left the court with 2 stitches and a bruised knee. Katie Boulter also said the boards need to be removed after she tripped on one in her second-round match on Friday while backpedalling to hit a forehand.
Swiatek was blunt about what she wanted to see. She said she had not seen the incidents herself but had heard about them, and said it was a shame if the tournament had to keep the setup as it is. She added that she hoped the boards would be moved or the advertising placed differently because, in her view, it is not safe. The issue has become harder to ignore because this is not a one-off collision: players have pointed to 5 incidents in 5 days at the back of the court.
Alexander Blockx said earlier in the week that he withdrew after injuring himself on the rain covers at the back of a practice court. In a post, he said he heard a snap in his ankle while he sprained it on what he called the “really necessary” covers. Marta Kostyuk, meanwhile, said she did not believe the tournament would make any changes because there are rules that simply cannot be changed, no matter how much players speak about them or fight over them.
Roland Garros is the only Grand Slam using advertising panels toward the back of the court in this way, while Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open also has hoardings but pressed directly to the back wall. The French Open is also the only major tournament that still uses line judges, and the clay can push players deeper behind the baseline, making the back of the court a more dangerous place when they are defending at full speed. Whether the tournament shifts the boards or keeps the layout in place will now be measured against that safety argument, not just against the sponsor logos they are meant to display.
