Suffolk Law Sports & Entertainment Law Association Blog

Artist: Ashwin Tanjore

By: Brenner Morton

Alexander Blockx was preparing for the biggest match of his career when one awkward movement changed everything.

During a practice session ahead of his second-round match at Roland Garros against World No. 8 Alex de Minaur, the 21-year-old Belgian twisted his ankle after stepping near a tarpaulin positioned behind the baseline on one of the tournaments outside practice courts.  Hours later, Blockx withdrew from the French Open.

At first glance, it may seem like an unfortunate accident. Injuries are an unavoidable part of professional sports, especially in a physically demanding sport like tennis. But comments from Blockx’s coach, Ruben Bemelmans, along with concerns raised by the Professional Tennis Players Association (“PTPA”), suggest this incident may represent something larger: whether tournament infrastructure is evolving quickly enough to keep pace with the modern game and what legal responsibility organizers may bear when tournament infrastructure fails to keep pace with the demands of the modern game. 

Tennis has evolved into a faster and more physically demanding sport, but some tournament environments may still be operating with infrastructure designed for an older version of the game.[1]  As players increasingly position themselves farther behind the baseline and rely on explosive movement to defend and recover, the amount of available space behind the court matters more than it once did.[2] That concern may be particularly pronounced on clay, where players often retreat deeper behind the baseline to handle higher-bouncing balls and heavier topspin.[3] The Blockx injury raises questions not only about player safety, but also about when tournament organizers may become legally responsible for failing to adapt.[4]

Following the injury, Blockx posted on Instagram that he “heard a snap” in his ankle after spraining it because of the “really necessary” court covers positioned behind the baseline.[5] Though the post was later edited, frustration surrounding the court conditions remained.[6] Bemelmans later questioned why the tarpaulins were necessary at all, particularly on the narrow Jean-Bouin practice courts located away from the main stadium complex.[7]

His comments reflected a broader concern that has quietly grown throughout professional tennis in recent years.[8] The modern game is faster, more explosive, and more physically demanding than ever before.[9] Players routinely return serve from several feet behind the baseline, defend from increasingly deep court positions, and rely on elite movement to survive extended physical rallies.[10] Even clay-court tennis, once associated primarily with slower tactical exchanges, has evolved into a game built heavily around speed, recovery, and physical court coverage.[11]

According to Bemelmans, players have less room to maneuver on certain outside practice courts than they do on the tournament’s primary show courts.[12] In today’s game, where defensive positioning often requires players to retreat well behind the baseline, limited space becomes more than an inconvenience, rather it potentially becomes a safety hazard.[13]

The question is not simply whether Blockx got injured, but whether tournament organizers ignored a foreseeable safety risk despite prior concerns from players and coaches about the court conditions.[14]

Those concerns were echoed by Blockx’s coach, Ruben Bemelmans, who questioned both the necessity and placement of the tarpaulins after the injury.[15] Bemelmans argued that the narrow dimensions of the practice courts left players with insufficient room behind the baseline and suggested that tournament organizers should explore alternative solutions rather than placing covers directly on the ground.[16]

Professional athletes generally assume many of the ordinary risks associated with their sport, including muscle injuries, falls during competition, and the physical wear and tear that comes with high-level tennis.[17] However, tournament organizers and venue operators still owe participants a duty to provide and maintain reasonably safe playing conditions.[18] When hazards become preventable, or when organizers are aware of recurring safety concerns and fail to address them, negligence questions can arise.[19]

In a negligence claim, an injured athlete generally must show that a tournament organizer owed a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused a compensable injury.[20] While tournament operators are not expected to eliminate every risk associated with professional sports, they are typically expected to take reasonable steps to address known hazards and maintain safe playing conditions.[21] Whether a particular condition is considered unreasonably dangerous often depends on factors such as foreseeability, prior incidents, and whether practical alternatives existed.[22]

What makes the Roland Garros situation particularly notable is that this is not the first time concerns have emerged regarding the same issue.[23] Following Blockx’s injury, PTPA Executive Director Romain Rosenberg stated that players had complained about the safety of the Jean-Bouin practice courts “for a while.”[24] Similar concerns surfaced in 2017 when David Goffin injured his ankle after colliding with a tarpaulin at Roland Garros and was sidelined for weeks.[25] More recently, Britain’s Katie Boulter revealed that she nearly suffered a similar injury after running into a courtside structure, while Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez was forced to retire from her match after colliding with an advertising board.[26] Even four-time Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek publicly suggested that tournament organizers reevaluate the court layouts, noting that players often need additional space behind the baseline on clay courts because of the higher-bouncing balls and heavier topspin.[27]

Taken together, these incidents raise questions about whether tournament officials had notice of a potential safety concern and, if so, whether sufficient steps were taken to address it.[28] Roland Garros has defended the current layout, noting that its courts exceed the international circuit’s minimum spacing requirements and that the facility underwent significant renovations in 2018 and 2019.[29] At the same time, tournament officials acknowledged player concerns and announced that adjustments were already being made around the playing surface.[30] This raises a more difficult question than whether the tournament complied with existing standards.[31] Compliance with a minimum standard may satisfy tournament regulations, but it does not necessarily end the discussion if players continue to identify the same conditions as unsafe.[32]

That legal framework for such hazards became highly visible in Eugenie Bouchard’s lawsuit against the United States Tennis Association (“USTA”) following the 2015 U.S. Open.[33] Bouchard suffered a concussion after slipping on a cleaning substance in a training room at the tournament.[34] In 2018, a jury found the USTA primarily responsible for her injuries and awarded damages.[35]

The Blockx situation is obviously different from Bouchard’s.[36] One involved an indoor slip-and-fall accident, while the other concerns the design and spacing of a practice environment.[37] Still, the broader legal principles are similar.[38] Foreseeability, notice, and reasonable safety precautions all become relevant questions when evaluating whether a tournament exercised proper care.[39] The key similarity is not the mechanism of injury, but the legal inquiry itself: whether tournament officials knew or should have known about a potentially dangerous condition and whether reasonable steps were taken to address it.[40]

These previous and contemporary complaints matter.[41] In negligence law, evidence that organizers were aware of a potentially dangerous condition can significantly strengthen arguments surrounding foreseeability and breach of duty.[42] If players and coaches repeatedly raised concerns about narrow courts and hazardous objects behind the baseline, tournament officials may face difficult questions about whether enough was done to address those risks.[43]

For Blockx, the consequences extend beyond a missed match.[44] A second-round appearance against Alex de Minaur represented a significant opportunity for prize money, ranking points, and exposure on one of the sport’s biggest stages.[45] If his injury results in additional missed tournaments or time away from competition, the economic impact could extend well beyond Roland Garros itself.[46] At the same time, the issue extends beyond a single injury or the possibility of legal action.[47] Blockx’s withdrawal highlights a broader tension within professional tennis: the sport itself has evolved rapidly, but some facilities may still reflect an older version of the game.[48]

Today’s players move differently than players did even a decade ago. Defensive court positioning has become deeper. Movement patterns have become more explosive. Sliding and recovery movement now occur on nearly every surface. Margins behind the baseline matter more than ever before because modern tennis increasingly demands that players use every inch of available space.

Although Roland Garros renovated its facilities in 2018 and 2019 and exceeded the minimum spacing requirements established by the international circuit, recent complaints from players raise a different question: whether those standards adequately reflect the realities of modern tennis. As the sport continues to evolve, the legal and practical debate may no longer be about the age of the facilities, but whether tournament infrastructure is evolving alongside the players who use it.

Whether Blockx ultimately succeeds in recovering damages remains uncertain. Professional athletes assume many risks inherent to competition, and proving long-term economic harm in professional sports is rarely straightforward. Still, the combination of prior complaints, repeated safety concerns, and previous injuries on similar court setups raises legitimate questions about whether tournament organizers are doing enough to adapt to the demands of the modern game.

As tennis continues to evolve physically, tournaments may face increasing pressure to ensure that player safety standards evolve with it.

Student Biography

Brenner Morton is a rising 2L at Suffolk University Law School and serves as an Executive Board Advisor for the Sports and Entertainment Law Association (SELA). His interests include sports law, athlete representation, and the analysis of professional tennis. He is the founder of SimonSaysTennis, where he covers professional tennis through match analysis, interviews, and industry commentary.

Contact: Brenner.morton@suffolk.su.edu 

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: The Suffolk Law Sports & Entertainment Law Association Blog is a student-run publication intended to encourage discussion, analysis, and enjoyment of issues related to sports and entertainment law. The content published on the Blog is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Suffolk University Law School, the Sports & Entertainment Law Association, or any affiliated faculty, staff, or students. Nothing on this Blog should be construed as creating an attorney–client relationship.

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[1] See Andrew McCarty, Roland Garros Announces Big Change After French Open Complaints, YAHOO SPORTS (May 30, 2026), https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/roland-garros-announces-big-change-133142377.html (last visited June 10, 2026).

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] See Charlie Eccleshare, Alexander Blockx’s Team Will Seek Compensation After Roland Garros Injury, THE ATHLETIC, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7312081/2026/05/27/alexander-blockx-french-open-tarpaulin-accident-withdrawal (last visited May 28, 2026).

[5] See Diego Jiménez Rubio, The Surreal Reason Blockx Has Had to Withdraw From Roland Garros, PUNTO DE BREAK, https://www.puntodebreak.com/en/2026/05/26/the-surreal-reason-blockx-has-had-to-withdraw-from-roland-garros (last visited May 28, 2026).

[6] Id.

[7] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[8] See Craig O’Shannessy, The Hidden Benefit Of Medvedev’s Deep Return Stance, ATP TOUR, https://www.atptour.com/en/news/medvedev-infosys-beyond-the-numbers-august-2023  (last visited May 28, 2026).

[9] See Tumaini Carayol, French Open Court Layouts Are Causing Injuries to Players, Says Iga Swiatek, THE GUARDIAN (May 29, 2026), https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/29/french-open-court-layouts-are-causing-injuries-to-players-says-iga-swiatek (last visited June 16, 2026).

[10] Id.

[11] See O’Shannessy, supra note 10.

[12] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[13] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[14] See Eccleshare, supra note 1. See also Carayol, supra note 11.

[15] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[16] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[17] See RESTATEMENT (THIRD) OF TORTS: LIAB. FOR PHYSICAL & EMOTIONAL HARM § 7 (A.L.I. 2010) [hereinafter Restatement (Third) of Torts].

[18] Id.

[19] Id.

[20] Id.

[21] See Restatement (Third) of Torts, supra note 20. See also Schatzle, supra note 21.

[22] See Restatement (Third) of Torts, supra note 20

[23] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[24] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[25] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[26] See Carayol, supra note 11.

[27] See Carayol, supra note 11.

[28] See Eccleshare, supra note 1. See also Carayol, supra note 11.

[29] See Callum Davies, Roland Garros Releases Official Statement After Multiple Complaints from Players, TENNISHEAD, (May 30, 2026), https://tennishead.net/roland-garros-releases-official-statement-after-multiple-complaints-from-players/ (last visited June 10, 2026).

[30] Id.

[31] Id.

[32] See Restatement (Third) of Torts, supra note20.

[33] Shawn Schatzle, See Tennis Star Eugenie Bouchard Sues Operators of the U.S. Open for Accident that Resulted in Head Injury, SPORTS LITIG. ALERT, https://sportslitigationalert.com/tennis-star-eugenie-bouchard-sues-operators-of-the-u-s-open-for-accident-that-resulted-in-head-injury/ (last visited May 28, 2026).

[34] Steve Keating, Bouchard Falls at U.S. Open But Legal Battle Continues, REUTERS, https://www.reuters.com/article/sports/bouchard-falls-at-us-open-but-legal-battle-continues-idUSKCN1152ST/ (last visited May 28, 2026).

[35] Brendan Pierson, Bouchard Reaches Settlement in Lawsuit Against USTA, REUTERS, https://www.reuters.com/article/sports/bouchard-reaches-settlement-in-lawsuit-against-usta-idUSKCN1G72QO/ (last visited May 28, 2026).

[36] Id.

[37] Keating, supra note 37. See also Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[38] Pierson, supra note 36.

[39] See Restatement (Third) of Torts, supra note 20.

[40] See Restatement (Third) of Torts, supra note 20

[41] Eccleshare, supra note 1. See also Carayol, supra note 11.

[42] See Restatement (Third) of Torts, supra note20.

[43] See Eccleshare, supra note 1. See also Carayol, supra note 11.

[44] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[45] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[46] See Eccleshare, supra note 1.

[47] See Eccleshare, supra note 1. See also Carayol, supra note 11.

[48] See O’Shannessy, supra note 10.