Alex de Minaur and Arthur Fils Back Daniil Medvedev’s Complaints on ‘Terrible Balls’ at Rotterdam

If the viewers have watched Daniil Medvedev play tennis, they know he doesn’t exactly keep his feelings bottled up. The man wears his heart (and usually his frustration) on his sleeve. But this week in Rotterdam, his usual on-court theatrics pointed to a problem that’s becoming impossible for the ATP to ignore: the tennis balls are a mess.

Usually, when a player complains about equipment, it’s easy to write it off as sour grapes after a bad set. But this time, Medvedev has backup. Alex de Minaur and Arthur Fils, two stars who generally let their rackets do the talking, have publicly backed Medvedev’s take.

The consensus is that the balls being used in Rotterdam are heavy, inconsistent, and fluff up so quickly that hitting a winner feels like trying to punch through drywall. De Minaur said in his post-match press conference:

I have struggled a lot in practice. I have actually been quite frustrated with the balls in practice, which is not like me. I do get what Daniil says about the balls.

This isn’t just about aesthetics or the “feel” of a shot. It changes the physics of the match. When balls get heavy and slow, rallies drag on forever. It turns tennis into a grueling war of attrition rather than a game of skill and shot-making. For stars playing indoors on hard courts, where the game is supposed to be slick and fast, it’s a nightmare. He added:

They are terrible. Really terrible. The ball is very bad. It is unbelievable. I don’t know who is in charge of it, maybe ATP or whatever, but they have to do better, because it is not normal to play with these balls at our level.

Medvedev noted that the combination of the slow court surface and these specific Head-branded balls made the physical toll much higher than it needed to be. He eventually lost to Ugo Humbert, but the loss wasn’t the main talking point.

A bigger issue than one tournament

While Rotterdam is the current flashpoint, this conversation has been brewing in the background of the tour for months. It started, as it often does, with Daniil Medvedev, in the heat of battle. During his opening round against Ugo Humbert at the ABN AMRO Open, the Russian star was shocked by the quality of tennis balls.

Go back to Indian Wells or Madrid last year, and the fans will find similar soundbites. Players are constantly adjusting to different balls week in and week out. One week, they’re playing with balls that fly like rocks; the next, they’re hitting fluff.

Analysts are pointing out that this isn’t just annoying; it’s a health risk. Heavier balls require more force to hit, leading to more strain on wrists, elbows, and shoulders. In a sport where the calendar is already brutal, adding unnecessary physical stress is asking for trouble.

What happens now?

The ABN AMRO Open is one of the most prestigious stops on the 500-level circuit. It has a history of champions like Roger Federer and Andy Murray. They don’t want to be known as “the tournament with the bad balls.”

The pressure is now on the organizers and the ATP to figure this out. Will they switch suppliers mid-stream? Unlikely. But one can bet there will be some serious closed-door meetings about equipment standards before next year.

For now, Medvedev and the rest of the field have to adjust. But if the fans see a few more unforced errors or players shaking out their wrists between points this week, they’ll know why. The ball is in the ATP’s court to fix this before a top player gets hurt.

Also Read: Coco Gauff Frustated Being Unable to Translate Practice Sessions into Tennis Matches After Doha Exit

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