David Goffin's injury prompts tarp debate among players at French Open

The sight of David Goffin's ankle twisting into the tarp at the back of the court on Friday has prompted players to question whether such equipment should be kept there.

Goffin had to retire from his French Open third-round encounter with the injury, though his coach said scans showed he had not torn or broken anything.

"I always thought that that tarp was dangerous and not in the right place," said nine-time champion Rafael Nadal, speaking to press at the French Open. "He's a great guy. I hope it's not serious."

Court Suzanne-Lenglen is one of the biggest courts in tennis, with lots of room on the side and back of the court, making such incidents unusual.

"The thing with this court is that it's very big,” Goffin’s opponent, Horacio Zeballos, said. “It's huge. It's six meters from the baseline to [the back of the court]. But still, of course, it's a little [dangerous].”

Defending women's champion Garbine Muguruza said she had a similar experience on a different court.

"I was trying to catch a lob, and my ankle was caught under the tarp,” Muguruza said. “I saw the video. It's the same that happened to Goffin. On Court [Philippe-Chatrier] there is a lot of room, so it is quite unfortunate. But maybe the tarp should be more to the side."

Goffin was the 10th seed at the French Open.

For complete coverage of the 2017 French Open, including 200 live matches from up to five courts, subscribe today at BuyTCPlus.com