Vasek Pospisil believes the ATP deliberately trying to slow the game down by using heavier balls just to have longer points for fans is ‘killing’ players’ bodies

Vasek Pospisil accuses the ATP and WTA of putting players' health on the back burner.

Vasek Pospisil believes the ATP deliberately trying to slow the game down by using heavier balls just to have longer points for fans is ‘killing’ players’ bodies

Vasek Pospisil(Image via: Rookie Me Central)

Canadian tennis player Vasek Pospisil recently made an accusatory post on social media. He is of the opinion that the ATP is deliberately trying to slow down the game of tennis so as to put on a better show for the audience.

The 33-year-old has made an exit from the last Grand Slam of the year. He lost to Zachary Svajda of America in the second round of the qualifiers. In his post, the 33-year-old highlighted how the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was having discussions on how they could slow down the game so that the fans and viewers could get longer points.

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Directly pointing out the crux of the matter, Pospisil claimed, “There were discussions a few years back that the ATP/WTA wanted to “slow the game down” to have longer points for fans. The balls have been getting incrementally heavier, and surprise, surprise, it’s killing our bodies.” He also revealed that several players he had spoken to had similar concerns.

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The co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), while elaborating further, added, “I’ve never seen more wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries in the locker room. If these changes to the ball don’t start getting reversed, it’s only going to get worse.” He urged both the ATP and the WTA to listen to their concerns instead of sidelining them. “Player injuries are bad for you too,” he added.

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Cases of player injuries are on the rise

Djokovic, Zverev, Saville(Images via: Al Jazeera,The Sun, Kyodo News)
Djokovic, Zverev, Saville(Images via: Al Jazeera,The Sun, Kyodo News)

Over the last few years, the number of cases of tennis players getting injured on the court has risen rapidly. In fact, the ongoing US Open saw several top-ranked players either withdraw from the event due to injuries or face one on the court in the middle of a clash. 

2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu and Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa had pulled out of Flushing Meadows earlier. Several other players backed out as well, including Nick Kygrios, Shuai Zhang, Denis Shapovalov, Reilly Opelka, and Richard Gasquet.

22-time Grand Slam title champion and former World No. 1, Rafael Nadal, skipped out on the US Open this year as well. The four-time title winner has opted out due to a hip injury he suffered earlier at the 2023 Australian Open.

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