Djokovic & Alcaraz Join Critics Of 'Slower' Roland Garros Balls
This year's Roland Garros saw many tennis balls players speak out against the tennis balls used and Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz joined.
This year's Roland Garros plays a bit slower than last year and the balls certainly aid in that. They get rather big quickly travelling slower through the air which makes it harder to hit a winner. Benoit Paire put the event on blast for it but he's hardly the only one who spoke about it.
Medvedev had some words about it as well because he struggled to control the balls, especially with the wind on Chatrier. Many players have struggled with controlling the balls as the unforced error numbers show. They have been quite out of control for most players.
Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have now added their thoughts on the balls used at this year's event. Djokovic, much like Alcaraz confirmed that the balls are not as fast as in previous years which makes it hard to hit a winner and prolongs every rally.
I think I heard a lot of players, I actually talked with a lot of players, we all think that the balls are slower than they were in previous years. So that makes it even more difficult to make a winner,you know, so you've got to work more for every point. It prolongs the duration of the match, exerts more energy.
Alcaraz had very similar thoughts as he admitted that he can't hit the ball as hard as he wants because they are rather slow. Even so, he admitted that he adapted well to the balls and doesn't seem too bothered with it anymore.
Well, I feel that. I feel that for me is tougher, the ball goes slower, is tougher to, you know,to hit the ball as strong as I want (smiling). But, you know, I'm a guy who adapt his game really good. So I adapt my game into the ball really good .I like the ball, but I feel every player who said that is tough to play with that.
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