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The fixed change of ball manufacturers from one match to a different is complicated tennis gamers on the WTA and ATP Tour, who consistently discover themselves having to cope with conditions that put them vulnerable to accidents and bodily issues.
Following what is occurring within the Sunshine Double, between Indian Wells and Miami, the athletes have as soon as once more expressed disappointment with the state of affairs, contemplating that no motion was taken through the break between one yr and the following.
For instance, the Californian match has Penn as its ball model whereas the Florida occasion selected Dunlop: this distinction naturally didn’t please the tennis gamers.
Indian Wells- Penn 🎾
Miami Open- Dunlop 🎾The professionals say fast ball modifications like these result in accidents. Ought to the excursions agree on one ball all season?#TheBreakTC | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/fKRNOWiO0b
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 22, 2024
On the subject, Taylor Fritz spoke to the media at a press convention, underlining: “It may affect us greater than the change of court docket. It’s unattainable to check one match with one other, as a result of if the balls are totally different it can’t be in contrast.”
The British star Emma Raducanu additionally talked concerning the change of balls between one match and one other. “It hurts us lots to have to vary balls each week, particularly in my case after having undergone a serious operation,” she revealed.
The US Jessica Pegula added: “The circumstances are like evening and day, you hit a very totally different ball and it’s important to change the strain. It is not ultimate. If we may at the least have the identical model of balls each week, we may at the least management that variable. There are already different ones that change. Whenever you consistently change this one, it turns into actually troublesome.”
https://t.co/LnzKGNQHHL Carlos Alcaraz rips the Miami balls: “In the future quick, sooner or later gradual, it is unusual”: On the press convention after beating Roberto Carballes Baena, the younger Spaniard analyzed the taking part in circumstances in Miami Open https://t.co/N4Y1qceTlg pic.twitter.com/Ze5LvPv2vv
— tenniscoaching.com (@_TennisCoaching) March 24, 2024
The difficulty, which has already emerged considerably through the season, doesn’t enable gamers to adapt to a particular number of balls, because the traits change virtually with every occasion, thus growing the danger of damage within the shoulder, arm or wrist space.
Controversy at Indian Wells and already originally of the season on the PTPA he had expressed his viewpoint
Already a couple of weeks in the past on the BNP Paribas Open many tennis gamers had complained about having to play with what they described because the worst balls on this planet.
Many have complained concerning the poor high quality of the balls. Stan Wawrinka, for instance, had made his voice heard on the difficulty, adopted by different colleagues.
Andy Roddick additionally expressed himself by way of X.
The American legend posted a picture of one of many balls utilized by tennis gamers at Indian Wells, evidently worn, accompanying it with a controversial message.
“I received two messages from two of one of the best coaches on this planet within the final hour saying how dangerous the balls are at Indian Wells Apparently this occurred after a couple of minutes of warming up. How is it potential that this downside has not been resolved over time?” wrote the previous primary within the ATP rankings.
As talked about, the fixed change of balls from one match to a different created appreciable controversy amongst tennis gamers final season. For 2024 the PTPA, the gamers’ affiliation promoted by Novak Djokovic, has put the subject among the many details to be mentioned and resolved.
The group, which has acquired protests from athletes reminiscent of Wawrinka and Stefanos Tsitsipas, has indicated the potential path that can in the end be taken by the ATP. On the Finals in Turin there would have been a fast confrontation between Nole and president Andrea Gaudenzi.
PTPA CEO Ahmad Nassar talked in an interview with Specific UK to elucidate what the ATP’s subsequent strikes might be.
“There can be some board conferences quickly the place totally different choices can be mentioned. Some balls are heavy, some are gentle. This destroys your shoulder and elbows. It is one thing that, for those who arrange a collection of tournaments fragmented, you by no means give significance.
We did some analysis and it seems {that a} excessive share of tennis balls world wide are produced in related services and on the finish of the method a emblem is placed on them.
This implies they will proceed to promote their sponsorship however we will at the least have the identical specs on the taking part in floor. This is able to result in respecting the totally different manufacturers, in order to not have a detrimental affect on sponsorship points in tournaments,” he analyzed.