Daniil Medvedev calls the China Open’s balls a ‘JOKE’ after his three-set win over Ugo Humbert

Daniil Medvedev joins other players in calling out ATP for their use of heavy tennis balls

Daniil Medvedev calls the China Open’s balls a ‘JOKE’ after his three-set win over Ugo Humbert

Daniil Medvedev (Credits ESPN)

Russia tennis sensation Daniil Medvedev expressed his frustration with the tennis balls being used at the China Open after a quarter-final match against Ugo Humbert. In his post-match interview, Medvedev openly criticized the quality of the balls, labeling them “a joke.”

The world No. 3 expressed his dissatisfaction clearly as he stated, “I’m sorry, but these balls on hard courts are a joke. You can’t control them. I’m not saying I played bad, but it’s a completely different game.”

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Medvedev, who is presently ranked among the best tennis players in the world, expressed his worries about the heavy weight of the balls. He remarked that the balls feel much heavier in comparison to the other tournaments. The 27-year-old further added that the balls can significantly affect a player’s performance and impact the outcome of the match. He argued that because of the balls, the rallies are shorter, and it becomes difficult to maintain the same pace and spin. 

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The Russian star won the first and second rounds of the tournament in straight sets against Tommy Paul and Alex de Minaur respectively. He did find it a little difficult in his quarterfinal match against the Frenchman Ugo Humbert. The match began with Medvedev starting strong but eventually losing the second set. However, he made a stunning comeback to win the match with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Medvedev had complained about the balls before as well. After his match with Australian player Alex de Minaur, he likened the ball to a ‘grapefruit’ stating that they are much fluffier.

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Other ATP Players also complain about the weight of the tennis ball

Tennis players like Stan Wawrinka and Taylor Fritz have also raised concerns about the impact of repeatedly changing tennis balls. It causes injuries to players’ wrists and affects their overall performance.

Taylor Fritz
Taylor Fritz (Credits: Showbiz CheatSheet)

Former Grand Slam champion Wawrinka criticized the ATP for the increasing number of wrist injuries among players. He believes that they are because of the frequent changes in the type and weight of tennis balls. He expressed his frustration on social media, stating, “It’s time to address the issue of wrist injuries. Changing balls so often during tournaments is taking a toll on us.”

The World No. 8 player, Taylor Fritz, was seen defending World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas, who had previously voiced his concerns about the inconsistent weight of tennis balls. Fritz supported Tsitsipas’s sentiments, saying, “The constant changing of ball weight affects the players.” It remains to be seen what the authorities have to say regarding these consistent allegations and if at all they will take any steps to alleviate this concern.

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