The issue mirrors the situation at the Denmark Open tournament earlier in the year, where the same brand of floor mats caused chaos.

Players and coaches have described the surfaces as unpredictable and unsafe, saying they are forced to hold back in fear of injury.

During Wednesday’s matches, French singles star Christo Popov lost his footing in a way that left many spectators fearing for his health.

Though he avoided injury, the scare intensified pressure on tournament organizers and the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to act.

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Officials briefly halted play for deep cleaning, but players later reported that the courts quickly became slippery again.

Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen told TV2-Sport, that maintaining balance was almost impossible, explaining that his shoes would slide several centimeters every time he tried to push off.

Attempts to fix the problem

BWF staff and local volunteers have repeatedly washed the courts between matches, but the problem persists.

Several players, including Mia Blichfeldt, noted that the delays and uncertainty added unnecessary stress, even though organizers appeared to be doing their best to resolve it.

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Victor Europe, the company behind the new mats, acknowledged that it was aware of earlier complaints from Denmark Open, and had tried to prevent a repeat.

TV2-Sport had a talk with the sales manager Pascal Sieck, who said that the mats used in Germany are from a separate batch but were produced using the same materials and process.

Sieck further explained that the issue may stem from a chemical substance used during production, which could leave a residue on the surface. He admitted that the cleaning done before and during the tournament was likely not sufficient but emphasized that player safety remained the top priority.

Frustration grows among athletes

By midweek, court number two continued to cause the most trouble, while conditions on the other courts had slightly improved.

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However, several athletes still felt unable to move naturally, describing the surface as unpredictable and dangerous.

The top french player Alex Lanier said during his interview with TV2-Sport, that even during practice sessions, nearly everyone had slipped at least once. He explained that the uncertainty affected performance, with players hesitant to move aggressively for fear of falling.

Across the field, frustration is mounting. Players say they are unable to prepare or compete at full intensity and want stronger action from both the manufacturer and tournament officials before someone suffers a serious injury.

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