This year, players on the ATP tour have increasingly complained about the quality of tennis balls.
During his first round victory against Ugo Humbert, Daniil Medvedev did not hesitate to criticize the balls used in Rotterdam.
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Medvedev let his frustration boil over by shouting: “The problem is that when you hit her with the racket, she doesn’t react the same way to your shots, so how do you expect us to play tennis?”
This is not a new problem. Players have been saying for some time that balls seem to get softer much earlier in games. And now a WTA player has expressed similar concerns while training in Indian Wells.
Bouzkova made her point clear with a short caption: “So many tennis balls…”. She then added another video showing her efforts to get more balls onto the court using her shopping cart.
Tennis balls at Indian Wells face early criticism
Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images
Medvedev is not the only one expressing his concerns. Arthur Fils and Alex de Minaur also raised similar questions in Rotterdam.
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The problem appears to be reappearing, this time in Indian Wells. Aliaksandra Sasnovich has already called out the quality of the ball before the Masters event.
Sasnovich posted a photo on Instagram showing a very inflated ball, with the caption: “After 25 minutes of play.”
Indian Wells is one of the most high-profile events on the tour, often considered the sport’s fifth unofficial Grand Slam.
If these concerns persist during such a major tournament, it could add even more pressure for changes.
Some players want closer scrutiny of ball quality, while others suggest increasing the frequency with which they are substituted during matches.
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More and more players have spoken out on the question of ball quality
Medvedev’s brilliance in Rotterdam brought more support from other players, including Alex de Minaur and Arthur Fils.
De Minaur spoke about his experience with the Head balls used at the tournament, saying: “I had a lot of difficulty in training.
“I’ve actually been quite frustrated with the balls in training, which is unlike me. I understand what Daniil is saying about the balls.
“They’re definitely not my favorite. I don’t think they’re anyone’s favorite ball. They’re very difficult to control.”
Arthur Fils was even stronger in his criticism, calling for significant changes to the ATP circuit.
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He said: “They are terrible. Really terrible. The ball is very bad. It’s unbelievable.”
Sasnovich also joined this group after his comments on Indian Wells balls during his training session there.
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