Daniil Medvedev has repeatedly reiterated to the press his thoughts on the new balls that are being used on the Tour, which he says would favor a small group of tennis players who would be able to generate great power in hitting the balls.
“I think it basically favors tennis players who can take advantage of the power of dead balls. Some have a better quality in this; others don’t. In fact the two best players in these conditions, they are already the best players in the world, and I’m sure they would be even without these balls. But with these balls, they are the only players who can generate crazy power. I’m talking about Jannik and Carlos. It gives them an additional advantage. I try to fight with what I can. I try to get this power, which I never had since I was young. I’m fighting and I want to go all the way,” he said after winning the match against Matteo Arnaldi in Shanghai.
Casper Ruud, in an interview with Nothing Major Podcast, has returned to talk about the situation. The Norwegian has used harsh words against some of his colleagues who have brought up this topic perhaps too many times, and perhaps too frequently. Although he did not name names, the reference to Medvedev is clear:
“I’m tired of seeing players complaining all the time about balls, and if the elbow, and if I can’t produce power, and if this ball goes better to another player; come on man, just play. It makes no sense, many like to make drama for nothing. The funny thing for me is that some players come to practice 5 days in advance. And I do it myself a lot, unless we go from one tournament to another. They string like 28 rackets to get the right tension. Then they get to the fourth round and start complaining about the balls. But it’s been the same balls for the last 9 days. What’s the point of talking to the umpire now? What’s going to change?” he said.
Casper Ruud says he’s tired of seeing players complain about the balls all the time:
“You see players complain about the balls all the time. I’m getting so tired of like ‘Oh, I feel my elbow… I feel this, that. I can’t produce power. It suits this player..’ Come on. Just play.”… pic.twitter.com/nhcKzFGO4P
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 25, 2024