“I think the balls are responsible for it,” Daniil Medvedev blames poor balls quality for increasing injuries on the Tour
Daniil Medvedev may have won the ATP Qatar Open but his obsession with tennis balls continues as he complained about its quality in the recently concluded ATP tournament in Doha.
Daniil Medvedev (Image Credit: TASS)
Despite winning the ATP Qatar Open 2023 singles title, Daniil Medvedev has registered his complaints over the quality of tennis balls used in the tournament. This is his second ATP title this year and in a matter of a couple of weeks. Last week he won the Rotterdam Open.
However, his obsession with tennis balls has resurfaced this season. He had also complained about the quality of the tennis balls used during the Australian Open in 2023. More than that, he also blamed them for the injury that he sustained in Melbourne.
“It’s really difficult to go from playing indoors to competing outdoors with the conditions in Doha. The fact that I got there clearly shows how important confidence is to me, as I didn’t feel comfortable for much of the week. We played with the same balls as at the Australian Open and I had a terrible feeling with them in Melbourne. Also, I injured my wrist before the game against Korda. I thought it was my problem, but I’ve talked to other players and I see there are more and more elbow, wrist or shoulder injuries, so I think the balls are responsible for it,” he said in a press conference post his victory.
The tennis balls are manufactured by Dunlop, which is also the official tennis ball sponsor for many ATP tournaments this season.
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Daniil Medvedev performances this season
The current World No.8 is trying to leave the disappointments of last season behind and make giant strides this season. He has until now played with renewed confidence, and this has helped him greatly. The Russian started his season by participating in the Adelaide International 1 tournament. He reached the semi-finals of this tournament, however, losing to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in straight sets.
Daniil Medvedev came to the first Grand Slam of the season as one of the favorites to win the tournament. Last time, he played in the final at Rod Laver Arena against Rafael Nadal. However, this time he was knocked out by Sebastian Korda in the third round of this competition.
He subsequently participated in the Rotterdam Open and Qatar Open, winning both the tournaments. The 27-year-old defeated Jannik Sinner in the final in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Meanwhile, in an epic battle of former World No. 1’s, he defeated Andy Murray in the final in Doha. He will continue his Middle East leg of the season by participating in the ATP Dubai Tennis Championships.
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Abhar Indorkar
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