Sönmez calls for court-side ad removal after French Open injury
Zeynep Sönmez requires stitches after tripping near back wall, citing player safety concerns in wake of similar incident involving Katie Boulter
Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sönmez was forced to retire from her women’s doubles match at the 2026 French Open on Friday after sustaining a knee injury. The incident occurred just two games into the contest, which she was playing alongside partner Tatjana Maria, and required two stitches to treat.
The injury took place while Sönmez was chasing a ball near the back wall of the court. According to reports, she tripped over a small, raised Lacoste advertisement positioned on the playing surface. The tournament is currently underway, and the specific stage of the match in which the accident occurred was not detailed in the source material.
In the aftermath of the retirement, Sönmez publicly called for the removal of court-side advertisements, citing player safety as the primary concern. She questioned the necessity of keeping the boards in place, asking on the social media platform X whether authorities must wait for a serious injury before implementing changes.
Sönmez’s comments were a response to a post by British tennis player Katie Boulter, who recently experienced a similar incident involving a raised Lacoste advertisement during her own match. By referencing Boulter, Sönmez highlighted that the hazard poses a recurring risk to competitors on the tour.
The incident has reignited debate regarding the safety of court-side boards in professional tennis. While Sönmez’s call for removal is based on her personal experience and the cited example of Boulter, the tournament organisers have not yet issued a statement regarding the specific configuration of the advertisements or potential policy shifts.
