Indoor hard courts have been very slow in the past few years which caused many complaints from players with Paris having faster courts this year according to Novak Djokovic.
Due to the fact that each player prefers something different, court speed will always be a contentious topic among players. Faster courts are better for players who like to play aggressively and serve well, but players who play like Djokovic may succeed on either surface.
“I must say after a few practice sessions, the conditions are different from last year,” admitted Djokovic ahead of the event. He spoke with director Pioline who confirmed that the courts play faster this year:
“I was speaking with Cedric Pioline (the tournament director) and he told me that many players were kind of complaining about the slowness of the court last year, the conditions. So that’s why they decided to speed it up. I think it’s fair. It’s okay.”
The pace of the court has no influence on Djokovic's ability to play well on any surface; however, opponents find it more difficult to defeat him on slower surfaces. The Tour is slowing down courts to make tennis more than just aces and service winners, yet slow courts have been a persistent complaint among players as most of the newer generations prefer faster conditions.
"I can’t tell you what kind of speed of the court is best for everyone because everyone is different" said Djokovic. “For
a big server, those guys would prefer quick conditions. For someone who
is staying at the back of the court and playing with a lot of spin,
they like balls and conditions to be slower. I don’t think
there is a golden formula, to be honest."
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