Australian Open 2021: All you need to know about the Dunlop balls to be used in Melbourne


Australian Open 2021: All you need to know about the Dunlop balls to be used in Melbourne
Australian Open 2021 commences from February 8

Australian Open 2021 is just around the corner as it is scheduled to commence from February 8. British sports company, Dunlop is the supplier of tennis balls for the Australian Open. Dunlop has over 100 years of experience and the Australian Open is the only Grandslam that uses the balls provided by this company.

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Besides the Grandslam events, Dunlop is the supplier of balls for three Masters events, all of them being played on clay-courts. Dunlop has an association with Australian Open since 2018 and all balls supplied at the venue belong to Dunlop.

During the match, there are six new balls for the warmups and then the first seven games. After that, there are six new balls handed out after every nine games. The partnership between Dunlop and Australian Open will continue until 2022.

Roger Federer was critical of the Dunlop balls in the past

Roger Federer

The Dunlop balls are produced in Philippines and come in cans of three balls each. They are best suited for hard courts. However, prior to 2011, Dunlop used to supply balls to the French Open.

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In the past, Roger Federer and Bernard Tomic have been critical of the Dunlop balls. They believe that the ball did not generate enough spin especially during the night session. However, Rafael Nadal prefers these balls because of the heavy bounce it generates.

Dunlop also makes tennis racquets which are used by players like Kevin Anderson and 2016 Australian Open doubles winner Jammie Murray. Legends like Rod Laver and John McEnroe have enjoyed success using Dunlop racquets.

Also Read: Elena Vesnina ready for her comeback at the Australian Open 2021