Freak accident at French Open forces player to retire from match

During a women’s doubles second-round match at the 2026 French Open, Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez and her partner were forced to retire following a freak accident early in their match. As the match unfolded, Sonmez tripped over an advertising sign near the baseline, sending her crashing into the wall.

Sonmez sustained a leg injury as she sprinted towards the back of Court Six, chasing down a high defensive lob during the opening set. In her effort to retrieve the ball, she collided with a low-lying sponsor sign placed close to the court boundary, causing her to lose her footing and fall headlong into the wall. The impact left her visibly shaken and in considerable pain.

Medical staff responded immediately, assisting Sonmez to her seat and conducting an on-court assessment. After a brief consultation, it was determined that she could not continue, bringing her and Maria’s campaign to an unfortunate end after just 17 minutes of play.

With Sonmez and Maria forced to retire, their opponents, Anhelina Kalinina and Dayana Yastremska, were awarded the victory and advanced to the third round of the women’s doubles at the French Open.

Zeynep Sonmez running for a ball and trips over an advertising sign at the back of the court.

She got injured and had to retire from her doubles match.

What is Roland Garros doing at this point to protect the players?

This is getting ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/V6npUQZ0MS

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) May 29, 2026

More: French Open 2026 bracket: Jannik Sinner loss leaves wide-open draw

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez forced to retire after fall at French Open