Casper Ruud has become the latest player to voice his frustration with the French Open over a courtside hazard that has emerged as one of the biggest controversies at the Major.
After both Zeynep Sönmez and Katie Boulter were affected by the same issue, high-profile figures like Iga Świątek, Martina Navratilova, and Marta Kostyuk, among others, demanded action from the tournament organizers. However, the Norwegian’s complaints indicate that the measures implemented so far have not adequately addressed the problem.
Why Casper Ruud Complained to the Chair Umpire at the French Open
Ruud squared off against João Fonseca in the fourth round of the French Open, with the players engaging in a thrilling battle that was marred by controversy due to the Major’s refusal to adopt electronic line calling. It was Fonseca who emerged victorious after three hours and 55 minutes, sealing a 7-5, 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2 victory to advance to his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The match also saw a moment of drama when Ruud approached the chair umpire to complain about the Lacoste advertising boards positioned at the back of the court, emphasizing that player safety should take precedence over sponsor visibility.
“I think it’s more important the player health than the frigging sponsor,” he said.
“They think it’s more important than player health to have their friggin sponsors” — Casper Ruud about on-court advertisements
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TNT Sports commentator Robbie Koenig shed light on Ruud’s frustration, explaining that the Norwegian had collided with the boards multiple times and had come close to tripping on several occasions.
“Casper’s a little worried about those Lacoste sponsor, I guess you’d call them umpire boards. He’s ran into a couple of them now. He’s come awfully close. They’ve just moved them back another foot or so. I do think they are made of foam. Players can’t really hurt themselves, but you can trip over it,” he said.
The advertising boards have been a major bone of contention during the clay-court Major. The issue first drew attention when Katie Boulter tripped over one of the boards during her second-round clash and later emphatically called for them to be removed.
“THESE THINGS HAVE TO GO. Got lucky last night but next time I might not be…,” she posted on X.
Shortly afterward, Zeynep Sönmez also toppled over a Lacoste board during her women’s doubles clash and sustained an injury to her knee, forcing her to retire from the match.
“I stand with Katie. 5 incidents in 5 days. I left the court with 2 stitches and a bruised knee. 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 said later.
With the likes of Iga Świątek, Martina Navratilova, and Marta Kostyuk also joining in to raise concerns about player welfare, tournament organizers released a statement confirming that adjustments would be made in response to the feedback.
While the advertising boards were indeed moved back on the outer courts, journalist Jessica Schiffer noted that this was not the case on Court Philippe-Chatrier and Court Suzanne-Lenglen, where the fourth-round singles action has been taking place.
Casper Ruud was aiming to reach his third French Open final before João Fonseca ended his run. Up next, the Brazilian will take on Jakub Menšík in the quarterfinals, with either No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev or fellow rising star Rafael Jódar waiting in the semifinals.
