Sönmez trips, injured by French Open ad board; players voice anger - ESPN

PARIS — Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sönmez had to retire from a women's doubles match at the French Open on Friday after tripping heavily over a small advertising board near the back of the court as she chased down a ball during a point.

She escaped with only minor injuries but demanded the boards be removed.

«I left the court with 2 stitches and a bruised knee,» Sönmez posted on X. «Thankfully, it wasn't worse. Do we really have to wait until a player is seriously injured before these courtside boards are removed? Player safety must come first.»

Her fall happened on Court No. 6. As she ran to retrieve a high ball, she pulled out of a two-handed backhand because the bounce was too high and then clipped the board with her feet before tumbling face first into sheeting on the fence.

As she lay on the ground, her doubles partner Tatjana Maria, and their opponents Dayana Yastremska and Anhelina Kalinina, went to check on her.

Sönmez got back up but could not continue and the pair pulled out at 2-0 down in the first set.

A similar accident happened to British player Katie Boulter in her second-round singles defeat to Anastasia Potapova on Thursday. Boulter toppled over while catching the back of her feet on the board — which carries the name of Lacoste, an official tournament partner — while playing a shot.

«THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO,» Boulter posted on X on Friday. «Got lucky last night but next time I might not be.»

Asked whether they would remove the advertising boards, organizers said they have raised the issue with the tournament's umpire and were waiting for an update.

Four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek said the situation must be addressed.

«Obviously if these things happen, there needs to be a reaction, because