After his two-set defeat against Marco Trungelliti in qualifying for the Challenger tournament in Buenos Aires, Gastao Elias let his frustration over the balls run wild.
“I demand from the ATP that they reimburse us for all the physio costs that I need after playing with these balls,” wrote the Portuguese in anger on X (formerly Twitter), adding: “I have been for many years on the tour and have never seen anything like it. THAT’S INHUMAN!”
With this statement, the 32-year-old started a discussion that Novak Djokovic has now joined. “There is certainly a connection between frequent injuries to the wrist, elbow, shoulder joint and the constantly changing balls,” said the record Grand Slam winner in an interview with the Serbian online portal sportal.rs and demanded: “I am absolutely in favor of that “We choose a ball with which we play all ATP tournaments.”
Currently, each event can decide for itself which balls the games will be played with. You just need to be approved by the International Tennis Federation. The problem: The list includes dozens of different brands and models and the tournament organizers usually decide based on the best financial offer.
Djokovic is also aware of this problem. Of course, a tournament has the right to negotiate with the ball manufacturers, explained the current number one in the ATP world rankings. “However, we simply have to find a way to standardize this – at least for every surface,” he demanded and called on those responsible: “You have to find a solution.”
He receives support from Daniil Medvedev. The Russian also did not shy away from criticizing the balls used there at the China Open. After a few hits, these become “bigger and fluffier,” is how the 27-year-old described the situation. “That basically leaves us playing 30-shot rallies because it’s impossible to hit a winner.”
“Unfortunately I had to give up today due to shoulder pain. I felt fantastic on the pitch – which makes today’s result even sadder,” she wrote on Twitter.
“I think it’s time for the WTA to rethink rallies during tournaments. Adjusting every week was really hard for a lot of players.”
2023-10-14 09:12:30
#Tennis #Djokovic #calls #radical #rethinking
