There’s been a growing number of complaints about tennis ball quality from players on the ATP Tour this year.
During his first-round win over Ugo Humbert, Daniil Medvedev didn’t hold back in his criticism of the balls being used in Rotterdam.
Medvedev let his frustration boil over, shouting: “The problem is when you touch it with the racket, it does not react the same way on your shots, so how do you want us to play tennis?”
This isn’t a new issue. Players have been saying for some time that balls seem to be getting fluffier much earlier in matches. And now, a WTA player has voiced similar concerns while training at Indian Wells.
Bouzkova made her point clear with a short caption: “So many tennis balls….” She then added another video showing her efforts to bring more balls onto the court using her shopping trolley.
Tennis balls at Indian Wells have come under early criticism
Medvedev isn’t the only one to voice his concerns. Arthur Fils and Alex de Minaur have also raised similar issues while in Rotterdam.
The issue appears to be cropping up again, this time at Indian Wells. Aliaksandra Sasnovich has already called out the ball quality ahead of the Masters event.
Sasnovich posted a photo on Instagram showing a heavily fluffed-up ball, captioned: “After 25 minutes of playing.”
Indian Wells is one of the most high-profile events on tour, often referred to as the sport’s unofficial fifth Grand Slam.
If these concerns continue during such a major tournament, it could add more pressure for changes to be made.
Some players want closer scrutiny of ball quality, while others have suggested increasing how often they are switched out during matches.
More players have weighed in on the ball quality issue
Medvedev’s outburst in Rotterdam brought more support from fellow players, including Alex de Minaur and Arthur Fils.
De Minaur spoke about his experience with the Head balls used at the tournament, saying: “I have struggled a lot in practice.
“I have actually been quite frustrated with the balls in practice, which is not like me. I do get what Daniil says about the balls.
“They are definitely not my favourite. I don’t think they are anyone’s favourite balls. They are very difficult to control.”
Arthur Fils was even stronger in his criticism, calling for significant change from the ATP Tour.
He said: “They are terrible. Really terrible. The ball is very bad. It is unbelievable.”
Sasnovich has now also joined that group after her comments about the Indian Wells balls during her practice session there.
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