Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz expressed serious dissatisfaction with the quality of tennis balls during his defeat to Zizou Bergs at the Shanghai Masters. During the first set, which he lost 5:7, the four-time Grand Slam champion communicated loudly with his staff several times, expressing his difficulties on the court.
„How can one ball bounce and another slide right at me? I can't play like that, I don't understand it. "I can't play by intuition," the Spaniard was heard shouting during his match with Bergs.
The quality of balls on the ATP Tour has long been a subject of complaints from leading tennis players, but Rafael Nadal's former coach and uncle - Toni Nadal - has spoken out against excuses based on external factors. Quoted by the sports media, Nadal recalled an episode from his work with his nephew at the US Open, when Rafa complained daily that the balls did not fit him and he could not give them spin.
“Listen, what you have to do is lose, and then when you return to Mallorca, the balls will give you all the falt you want“, shared Uncle Tony what he told Rafael Nadal at the time, adding that he really does not like excuses and then his nephew followed his advice and lost.
Alcaraz is far from the only one who has expressed dissatisfaction with the balls in the Chinese metropolis. American tennis player Taylor Fritz also commented on the topic after his victory over Matteo Arnaldi in the first round. “These balls are very fast when they are new, and then they wear out at a crazy rate. Once they wear out, it's a nightmare to try to finish a point. Once they wear out, for God's sake, it's torture to try to finish a point," Fritz said.
In tennis circles, the question is increasingly being asked whether the deteriorating quality of balls is also contributing to the increased number of injuries among players. Their rapid wear and tear lengthens matches and requires significantly more physical strength to land winning shots, leading many to demand uniformity and a higher standard of balls throughout the season.