Paris Masters Ball controversy: Auger-Aliassime Sounds Off on ‘Not Really Round’ Tennis Balls

October 28, 2025 – The hallowed halls of the Rolex Paris Masters, a prestigious ATP Tour event, are usually buzzing with talk of thrilling rallies and championship aspirations. However, this year, a different kind of conversation is dominating the locker room and the mixed zone: the quality of the tennis balls themselves. World No. 10, Félix Auger-Aliassime, fresh off a hard-fought first-round victory against Francisco Comesana, didn’t hold back his frustrations, labeling the tournament’s provided balls as subpar and a important impediment to high-level play.

While Auger-Aliassime secured his win with scores of 6-7 [2], 6-3, 6-3, the Canadian star’s post-match comments, as reported by L’Équipe, painted a picture of a player battling more than just his opponent. The balls suck,they don’t bounce straight! he declared,highlighting the unpredictable nature of the Head Tour XT balls. He elaborated on the difficulties faced when trying to execute precise shots,particularly on serves. when you try to put the ball in the court, it’s fine, but as soon as you try to be precise on the serve or to hit, the frustration was palpable in his voice.

A Persistent Problem Demanding a Solution

This isn’t the first time players have voiced concerns about equipment consistency on the tour. Auger-Aliassime, a prominent voice in the locker room, emphasized that this issue has been a topic of discussion for years, even predating the COVID-19 pandemic. this needs to change. We have to find a solution, we’ve been talking about it since covid, but each time, there is no solution, we have to find one for things to get better, the 25-year-old stated, underscoring the urgency for the ATP and tournament organizers to address the matter.

Auger-Aliassime’s critique went beyond general dissatisfaction, delving into the specific manufacturing defects he observed. He pointed to the visible seam on the balls, a common characteristic of tennis equipment. If you look at the ball you play in tennis, there is always a white seam. There, the seam is not uniform, so sometimes it is wider, sometimes it is thinner, sometimes there is a hollow. The ball is not really round. It’s a real problem, he concluded, providing a detailed explanation that