Overview
- Alexander Blockx suffered an ankle sprain during a training session on a Jean-Bouin court after stepping on a tarp and did not play his scheduled second-round match at Roland Garros.
- Coach Ruben Bemelmans told organizers about the incident and said there were no warning signs about the tarps and that the covers should not have been placed where players run.
- Blockx’s team is evaluating a request for compensation from tournament organizers but has not filed a formal lawsuit and the situation is still developing.
- Players and the PTPA have long raised concerns about Jean-Bouin’s limited space behind the baseline, which makes loose objects on the court edge more hazardous as modern play forces frequent deep movement.
- Journalists and lawyers note past precedents including David Goffin’s 2017 tarp injury and a 2018 ruling that assigned most blame to the USTA in Eugenie Bouchard’s 2015 US Open injury, which could inform any claim and affect how practice courts are managed.