The ATP Tour has increased measures to ensure uniformity for balls used in its tournaments after several top-tier tennis pros complained.
The ATP Tour posted a video on its social media on Wednesday (June 11) revealing its plans to ensure consistency for its balls.
What the ATP Tour Has Revealed About Its Plans to Address Concerns Over Balls
In the video uploaded on its official social media, an actor informs that the ATP Tour has been undertaking scientific measures to
“Tennis balls aren’t just tennis balls,” the actor emphasized in the clip. He noted that brands have different feel, weights, or bounce patterns.
Admitting that the game has changed, becoming “heavier” and “more powerful” and “more physical,” the ATP clip pointed out that players have started asking for more “week-to-week consistency.”
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“At the start of 2024, the ATP said, let’s bring some structure to the bounce,” the actor in the clip said. Following these fresh measures, groups of tournaments in the same region are “more aligned,” as far as balls are concerned.
However, he stressed that it will not happen “overnight” as some tournaments still have deals with manufacturers.
In addition, the ATP has been getting really scientific, collecting data and feedback from players to ensure that the bounce of balls used in tournaments is just “right.”
The ATP informed via the caption to the video, “We’ve been working behind the scenes to bring more consistency to the balls used on Tour – so players can rely on a more familiar feel across event swings.”
Amid repeated player complaints, ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi confirmed that plans are afoot to “centralize” tennis balls used in its tournaments.
“It will take a little time because the tournaments have contracts with the manufacturers and we have to wait for them to expire,” he told L’Equipe last year. “But we have listened to the players and we want to bring back consistency in the tours with balls chosen by the ATP.”
Why Players Have Been Complaining About Usage of Balls in ATP Tournaments:
Several players have expressed extreme displeasure with the balls used in ATP tennis tournaments in recent years. In October 2023, World No. 1 Novak Djokovic claimed that the “inconsistency” of balls used during ATP tournaments could be causing injuries.
“This inconsistency is an issue, and that’s what most of the players, and also of course including myself, we complain about,” the former World No. 1 said. “You know, I think there needs to be a bit more consistency with the balls so that we avoid any kind of issues with wrists and elbows and shoulders,” he added.”
Several other top players, including Alexander Zverev, Stan Wawrinka, Sebastian Korda, and Daniil Medvedev have also complained about the balls. Zverev complained about balls as recently as January, when he suggested the balls used at the tournament could be causing him injuries.
