Taylor Fritz defends Stefanos Tsitsipas’ frequent injuries amid early exits, blames the constant changing of the weight of the balls 

Taylor Fritz adds on to the ongoing injury concerns that players are subjected to in recent times.

Taylor Fritz defends Stefanos Tsitsipas’ frequent injuries amid early exits, blames the constant changing of the weight of the balls 

(L) Stefanos Tsitsipas; (R) Taylor Fritz (Via Tennis.com, Tennis infinity)

In the world of sports, nothing is more dreadful than players being injured. It often derails the career of a well-set athlete. Similarly, in the world of tennis, there have been a string of injuries in recent times and players have been blaming it on the change in the tennis balls. One such player, Stefanos Tsitsipas, was plagued by recurring injuries.

Earlier in March, Stefanos Tsitsipas had a shoulder injury and blamed the ATP tour ball changes for the injury. On media day in the Miami Open, he stated the issue many players were facing due to the consistent changes in the balls. “Balls need to stay the same in most tournaments and especially on hard surfaces. This benefits us all and protects players from injury,” said Tsitsipas during Media Day. American tennis sensation, Taylor Fritz backed up the Greek by sharing his count of issues on his social media.

https://youtu.be/HSs9-WrTNDw?si=o7qTJ8vzCnX0ne_O

“Have been dealing w wrist issues since beginning of USO series cause of ball changes we went 3 different balls in 3 weeks,” tweeted Fritz as a reply to the tweet posted by The Tennis Letter. As different balls have different weights, the players have to regularly change their shots according to the ball, and at times can cause injuries.

FS Video

Related: “You taught me to live life,” Stefanos Tsitsipas opens up about his love for tennis and how it changed his life

Plague of injuries for Stefanos Tsitsipas as the Greek faces early defeat in China Open

Over the past few tournaments, Greek pro Stefanos Tsitsipas has been facing a few upsets at the early stages of the tournament preventing him from finishing deep. There have been speculations that his recent string of injuries may be the root of his under-par performances. World No. 5 has had at least two injury scares this year. He faced a shoulder injury earlier in March and recently the Greek withdrew from the Laver’s Cup due to an injury.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nicolas Jarry
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Nicolas Jarry (Via Tennis TV)

However, Stefanos participated in the 2023 China Open, where he lost in his first match against Nicolas Jarry in two straight sets. The final score was 6-4, 6-4 where Jarry smartly stole the break points and won the respective set and the match as well. Nonetheless, the number of injuries increases due to the change in balls as more players continue to complain. As the sport continues to evolve, it becomes vital for the officials to address the issue and ensure the fairness and well-being of the athletes.

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