Novak Djokovic fell to a lopsided defeat in the 2024 United Cup after struggling with wrist issues. Nick Kyrgios spoke out in his support, blaming the frequent ball changes for the Serb’s struggles. The controversy surrounding tennis balls has been the topic of discussion for some time now.
For about a year now, the top ATP and WTA players have regularly complained about frequent ball changes causing them injuries. Djokovic had previously spoken on this topic, blasting the associations for their silence. At the 2024 United Cup, he also allegedly fell victim to this problem.
As Serbia took on Australia in the quarter-finals, Djokovic faced Alex de Minaur in the men’s singles fixture. The Aussie No.1 played incredible tennis to win 6-4, 6-4. However, the attention from his victory was taken away by Djokovic’s struggles. His discomfort was evident as he called for medical assistance to his right wrist twice.
After the match, Kyrgios took to X (formerly Twitter), claiming changing balls ‘every week’ affected Djokovic’s wrist. He appealed to the ATP to address this matter as players continue suffering.
Djokovic had taken a medical time-out for his right wrist in his previous clash against Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic. He has faced this problem throughout the 2024 United Cup.
The ball changes controversy is something that made headlines often during last season. Different balls, including reportedly poor quality ones, being used for different tournaments have caused many players troubles in their wrists, shoulders and elbows. All balls behave significantly differently, requiring a player to adjust his power, technique, and style. Additionally, many allege the balls in use are manufactured to facilitate longer rallies for viewing pleasure, rather than accounting for player comfort.
Even as top stars like Novak Djokovic protest, no change in tennis balls on the cards
Tennis balls are regulated for size and weight. However, no guidelines exist for their speed and bounce, leading different manufacturers to produce balls largely varying in these criteria. Combined with how balls behave on different surfaces, tennis players are left constantly adapting to the speed and bounce associated with various balls.
Different tournaments use different balls, primarily for sponsorship reasons. Hence, just as a player is getting used to the ball’s dynamics in one event, he/she is forced to switch gameplans and play with a different ball in the next. This has led to a surge of players facing issues in their arms.
Top stars like Daniil Medvedev, Iga Swiatek, Paula Badosa, and Taylor Fritz have spoken up about this situation. The American No.1 pointed out how each of the three big tournaments in the 2023 North American swing used different balls. Medvedev was one of the earliest to raise his voice, doing so in early 2023 (via Tennis.com). He said he injured his wrist playing with certain balls used in the Australian Open, claiming many other players suffered similar issues.
The first Slam of the season uses Dunlop balls and has not announced any changes. In fact, the organisers renewed the deal until 2027, drawing criticism from Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka. Regardless, the 2024 Australian Open is set to proceed with the controversial Dunlop balls. Despite players raising voices and bodies like Novak Djokovic’s PTPA making efforts, a change seems unlikely shortly.
