French Open: Zeynep Sönmez forced to retire after tripping over court-side advertisement: 'Player safety must come first'

Turkish tennis player Zeynep Sönmez was forced to retire from a women's doubles match at the 2026 French Open on Friday, May 29, after tripping over a raised Lacoste court-side advertisement and sustaining a knee injury that required two stitches. The incident occurred just two games into her doubles match alongside partner Tatjana Maria, as Sönmez chased a ball near the back wall. Following her retirement, Sönmez called on the French Open to remove the court-side advertisements, stating that player safety must come first.