Dunlop continues to be the official ball partner of the Miami Open 2024 despite a range of complaints. Daniil Medvedev slammed the Japanese-owned company for their balls at the Australian Open 2023. He has been a leading voice in speaking up against poor-quality balls.
Apart from the Miami Open and the Australian Open, Dunlop is the ball supplier for many ATP and WTA tournaments. This includes the ATP Finals, other 1000-level events like Monte Carlo, Madrid, and Rome, the United Cup, and a bunch of 500s and 250s. They signed a contract with the Miami Open in 2019 and have provided balls for the tournament since.
Daniil Medvedev, who enters the Miami Open 2024 as the defending champion, is a vocal opponent of the Dunlop balls. His tirade after the Australian Open 2023 kickstarted the debate over ball quality and changes on the tour. After winning the Qatar Open last year, he compared Dunlop balls to apples (Daily Mail). The Russian claimed hitting these balls felt like playing Padel and it did not give players adequate control over the game.
“Last two games before they change the balls, the balls are like apples. They are so, so big. You’re kind of playing like Padel. You hit the ball. Whoever hits it with an angle… You don’t feel like you’re controlling the game anymore.”
Medvedev said he suffered a wrist injury during the Australian Open that year because of the balls. He initially believed he was the only one, but more players opened up about their problems with Dunlop balls at hard court events. He named Sebastian Korda, Holger Rune, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, saying they all suffered wrist, shoulder, or elbow injuries. The 2021 US Open winner said these balls fluff up quickly and the ATP needs to reconsider the partnership.
However, the Australian Open recently inked an extension with Dunlop, who will now supply balls until 2027. This drew criticism from Rafael Nadal and Stan Wawrinka as well. The company continues to be the official supplier for the Miami Open, surely to Medvedev’s ire. The court conditions in the Florida city are similar to those in Melbourne. Hence, the balls will likely suffer from the same issues, leading to further problems for players.
Daniil Medvedev was backed by many in voicing discontent with ball quality and changes
Balls have been a hot topic for about a year now, with multiple players chipping in with their discontent. Apart from their alleged poor quality, ATP and WTA stars also disapprove of frequent changes. Since different tournaments have different partners, the balls vary greatly in speed, bounce, and power. The constant alterations have caused wrist, arm, shoulder, and elbow problems for many professionals.
Daniil Medvedev has found support from Iga Swiatek, Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Fritz, and more. Novak Djokovic has also urged the ATP to act on this issue. More recently, Andy Roddick slammed the poor ball quality at the Indian Wells 2024 on X (formerly Twitter). A prominent allegation from the players is that balls are being made heavier for games to last longer, sacrificing athlete well-being for fan appeasement.
Currently, Medvedev has no choice but to defend his Miami Open title with the contested Dunlop balls. However, with increased player protests, the governing bodies may be forced to reach a compromise soon.
