Martina Navratilova has become the latest prominent voice in the tennis community to call out a major safety risk at the 2026 French Open. The controversy intensified when Zeynep Sönmez suffered an avoidable injury and was forced to retire from her doubles match, igniting concerns about the tournament’s courtside setup.
In the aftermath of the debacle, stars like Iga Świątek, Marta Kostyuk, and Katie Boulter joined a growing chorus of criticism, urging organizers to address the danger. The backlash prompted the French Open to issue a statement about the issue, with changes soon following.
How Martina Navratilova Reacted to the French Open Safety Risk After Zeynep Sönmez’s Injury
Sönmez and her partner Tatjana Maria’s doubles campaign at the French Open was cut short when the Turkish star tripped heavily over the Lacoste advertising board at the back of Court 6, crashing to the ground in visible pain. She was not the only player affected by the issue, as Katie Boulter also stumbled over an advertising board, though she escaped without serious injury.
Following her mid-match retirement, Sönmez revealed she had sustained a bruised knee and required two stitches, as she demanded that player safety be prioritized.
“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,” Sönmez posted.
Navratilova took note of Sönmez’s statement and reiterated her long-standing concerns about the courtside advertising boards. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion argued that the issue had only worsened over time, with the boards becoming even more “dangerous.”
“Been talking about them for DECADES. They have always been dangerous, but now being metal are even worse. The court is no longer big enough. But it should never be dangerous…,” Navratilova posted.
Given the criticism from several players about the safety risk, Roland Garros released a statement emphasizing that its courts comply with the required distance from the baseline to the back of the court. However, tournament organizers acknowledged the negative feedback and said they were making adjustments to address the issue.
“The stadium complex was modernised during the 2018/2019 season. All Roland-Garros courts currently exceed the international circuit minimum requirements regarding the distance between the baseline and the back of the court, which is set at 6.4 metres.
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,” the statement read.
The changes became evident when play resumed on Day 7 (Saturday), with the Lacoste advertising boards on Court 7 moved farther back and positioned on top of the court covers during Diana Shnaider’s third-round win over Oleksandra Oliynykova.
However, journalist Jessica Schiffer pointed out that similar modification changes had not been implemented on Court Philippe-Chatrier and Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the two main show courts at Stade Roland Garros.
Martina Navratilova recently also weighed in on the controversy surrounding an incident in which Rafael Jódar appeared to push a ball girl while leaving the court for a toilet break during his third-round clash. Although Navratilova initially said Jódar’s conduct was “not ok,” she later revised her stance after realizing the ball girl simply tripped while moving out of the Spaniard’s way.
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