What you need to know:
The Dunlop company is in charge of providing balls to the Australian Open and signed a contract with the ATP until 2028.
There is a strange epidemic of injuries in the Australian Open and everything indicates that the balls are responsible for this situation since while in other sports the dimensions of the balls have specific measurements, in tennis they usually vary depending on the tournament and the manufacturer.
Daniil Medvedev declared that he had been injured during training in the 2023 edition and although at first he thought it was an isolated case, when talking to the rest of his rivals he realized that They were all suffering from wrist injuries due to changing balls.
Mexican tennis players are suspended for corruption / Illustrative photo: Pixabay
And although there are many complaints, The ATP seems not to listen to the claims, some suggest that their intention with balls is to have matches with longer points and thus give more spectacle to the fans, even if the price is the health of its stars.
There is no official ball in tennis tournaments
In the world of tennis, the balls can vary from manufacturer to each tournament, for example in the 2023 US Open they played with ones made by the Wilson brand, while, for the Australian Open 2024 The Dunlop company was chosen to supply the tournament and the regulations of the International Tennis Federation allow a variety between the size and weight of each ball.
So each organization chooses the sponsor that best suits them, a decision that directly affects the tennis players who have to face the change in weight and strength.
Illustrative photo: Pixabay
According to the regulations of the International Tennis Federation, the balls can be pressurized or depressurized. The weight varies between 56 – 59 grams, the size goes from 6.54 to 7.30 centimeters, with these dimensions the rebound can vary between 135 – 147 cm.
- The ball will have a uniform outer surface consisting of fabric, except for Stage 3 (Red) foam balls. If it has seams, they must be without edges.
- The ball will fit one of the types specified in the table below or in the table included in the paragraph.
Tennis ball measurements / International Tennis Federation
Why do tennis players get injured?
The problem with balls is that The change is so continuous and very little regulated that tennis players compete and they train with a specific type, but then for their next competition the weight of the ball changes, a situation that It affects the wrist, elbow and arm.
Faced with the ‘abrupt’ change, tennis players usually feel it directly in these areas of their body, which is why they begin to present injuries, for example, In 2023 the WTA will use balls from ten different manufacturers. Which represents a continuous adaptation process.
Rafael Nadal / Getty Images Photography
What manufacturer makes tennis balls?
The company Dunlop is responsible for supplying balls to the Australian Open and although tennis players are not so happy with their products, the reality is that they will have to get used to them, since The ATP signed a contract with them until 2028 and not only that, they will also be present at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Of all the manufacturers, Dunlop has the greatest presence in tournaments such as Monte Carlo, Madrid Open and the Internazionali d’Italia.
Lawsuits by tennis players against the balls
But the exclusive of the Australian Open, at the beginning of 2024, Novak Djokovic missed the duel against Alex Minaur in the United Cup due to a wrist injury, curiously months before the injury the Serbian had already raised his voice about the need to have only one ball, however, he is not the only one, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nada, Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz, Stéfanos Tsitsipas have also protested the change of balls.
“The lack of continuity is a problem and it is our complaint. There must be more uniformity in the choice of balls to avoid problems with wrists, elbows and shoulders”.
Novak Djokovic, Serbian tennis player
Getty images
“I would like to play with the same ball always. It’s the only thing I would change, playing all the tournaments all year with the same ball. Now you have to adapt your game. In each tournament, the ball is different”
Carlos Alcaraz, Spanish tennis player
Photo: Capture from Azteca Deportes video
“The issue of balls is very complicated, sometimes they can come from different manufacturers, sometimes they are manufactured differently. In Cincinnati they didn’t use a typical hard court, they used a different surfacewhich was like skinning your balls to really go”
Jessica Pegula, American tennis player
Although each organization defends that the balls are the best and comply with the regulations, the reality is that tennis players do not share that idea, just as Rafael Nadal said; “They say it’s the same, but the ball is of worse quality, without a doubt” said the Spaniard about the Dunlop balls.
Although the ATP stated some time ago that it would open an investigation into this matter, the reality is that There will not be an immediate change and even less with the signed sponsor contracts.
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2024-01-23 23:06:00
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