Tennis is an injury-prone sport, and frequent injuries are common, requiring players to exercise caution with their bodies. However, at the 2026 French Open, multiple players have sustained tournament-ending injuries due to no fault of their own, putting the organizers under scrutiny.

In an official statement issued by the French Tennis Federation (FFT), the organizers finally acknowledged the role of the court setup in on-court injuries, such as Zeynep Sonmez’s, who had to retire from her doubles match after tripping over the advertisement board at the back of the court. “The Roland-Garros tournament organisers have taken note of some of the players’ feedback regarding the court setup. We have taken this feedback into account and are maintaining ongoing communication with the players and their teams,” the statement said, via Sky Sports.

“However, the tournament’s priority remains the well-being of the players taking part. With this in mind, and based on our own observations, adjustments are currently being made to the area around the playing surface.”

It is imperative that court setups change, especially given the game style most players adopt nowadays. With players becoming more baseline-dominant and playing farther back, the risk of tripping on court equipment is high, especially on clay courts, where players often slide during rallies.

Sonmez has not been the only victim of the court equipment this year at Roland Garros. Alexander Blockx tripped on tarp sheets kept at the back of the practice court during his practice session, which ended his campaign as he suffered an ankle injury. Alexandre Muller had to retire in his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas as he tripped over an advertisement barrier, which saw the Frenchman sustain a calf njury. What was even more significant was that this happened on the main show court at Philippe Chatrier, underscoring the need for immediate change.

The growing number of injuries due to court setups has understandably led players to lodge complaints on social media and the press.

Players Have Voiced Their Dissent at the Court Conditions at the French Open

Players have expressed their discontent with the court conditions, and one of the most prominent voices in this matter has been Iga Swiatek, a four-time champion at Roland Garros. While speaking about on-court injuries, she made it clear that the tournament needed to make changes, as it was a “shame” that players were being knocked out for no fault of their own. “It’s a shame – I hope they’re going to put them in a different place or just put the advertising in a different way there, because it’s not safe for sure,” said Swiatek in the French Open press conference.

Katie Boulter was one of the lucky players who did not get injured while trying to get a ball back in her match, but she, too, made her displeasure known on social media by claiming “These Things Have To Go” on X. The British player’s sentiments were echoed by Sonmez, who said that she had to get stitches after her fall, which injured her knee.

Alexander Blockx, too, had put out an Instagram post calling out the tournament, but later backtracked, amending his post and leaving a few sarcastic jibes out. The French Open has been the most convention-bound of the four Slams, which still sees the rain covers being kept at the back of the court. However, there is logic to doing so on clay, as the surface is sensitive to rain and clay-court covers are heavier than those on other surfaces.

It remains to be seen how the French Open tackles these issues, especially since sponsor interests are on the line, with the advertising hoardings in question.