Tennis players don't like ATP balls at all

"After the pandemic, tennis balls have worsened and put the health of tennis players at risk". The latest to complain about the quality of the game balls during these ATP Finals in Turin was the number two in the rankings, Alexander Zverev, in the press conference following his victory against Andrey Rublev. The issue of the balls has been raised in almost every press conference in Turin, with Daniil Medvedev as one of the most vocal in expressing his dissatisfaction with the playing conditions. The Russian also made headlines when he smashed his racket after committing three consecutive double faults in his match against de Minaur. 

A series of unusual mistakes that Medvedev also attributed to the balls used, which he described as too slow in the air and leaving all players struggling in rallies. He had already complained about them during the Shanghai Masters 1000, where he received two warnings after losing a point against Matteo Arnaldi. "I don't think it's possible to change your playing style too much to adapt to these balls. What happens is that they favor those players who are better at accelerating the ball when it arrives without much power. The top two in the world are the ones who can do it best; they are the only ones who can generate incredible power with these balls, so they benefit greatly from them, but I'm sure they would still be the best even without them," commented Medvedev, highlighting the advantage that Sinner and Alcaraz would receive compared to other players on the circuit.

How tennis balls have changed

Zverev, who in the last month managed to surpass Alcaraz and rise to second place in the ATP rankings, did not hold back his criticism. The German is also a member of the ATP player advisory council, and it is in this role that he has been trying to understand if there really is a difference between the various balls used in tournaments around the world. "The reason is that the manufacturing companies have tried to cut costs and now use a different rubber material, which makes tennis balls on average 30% to 60% slower than before Covid. What happens now with tennis balls is that the air and pressure decrease because the material does not retain them inside. They fly very quickly for the first two or three meters, then slow down," he stated.

In 2019, the ATP entered into a partnership agreement with Dunlop, which is effective until 2028. The Australian Open uses Dunlop, the French Open and the US Open have agreements with the American manufacturer Wilson, and Wimbledon with the British company Slazenger. However, the balls made by the Japanese company are only used in half of the tournaments on the circuit, creating difficulties for players who have to switch equipment every week. "Playing a series of four tournaments in the same continent using four different balls can be difficult and demanding," commented Casper Ruud after his victory in the opening round against Alcaraz.

Injuries in tennis

Other players argue that the poor quality of the balls and the resulting slowness are the cause of elbow and wrist injuries, which are becoming increasingly common. "The air and pressure leave the tennis ball because of the material. The material does not retain it inside," continued Zverev, adding that "the pressure of the tennis ball decreases drastically." This causes players to exert excessive effort to impart new power on deflated balls, resulting in physical problems. Now that the season is coming to a close, it is also time for the ATP to reflect on the players' concerns, who have been complaining about this issue since the beginning of the year.

In January, Novak Djokovic spoke to the website Sportal and stated, "There is definitely a connection between frequent wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries and ball changes. I am absolutely in favor of using a single ball for all ATP tournaments." While Robby Sikka, a sports medicine specialist and consultant for the Professional Tennis Players Association, stated: "There is no doubt that changes in ball technology and lack of consistency have had an impact on the increased risk of injuries for players." Now it is up to the ATP executives to decide whether to listen to the players or find a new agreement with the technical suppliers on the circuit.