Djokovic reveals that courts speed increased in Paris after players complained last year
ATP
Novak Djokovic observed that courts at the Paris Masters have become faster after previous complaints from the players.
Indoor hard courts have been very slow in the past few years, which caused many complaints from players. Due to the fact that each player prefers something different, the court speed is something that someone will always complain about.
Faster courts are better for players who like to play aggressively and serve well. On the other hand, players who prefer the clay courts will also prefer slower hard courts.
Courts at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Paris have become slower in recent years, but that seemingly change in 2022, at least according to Djokovic. He spoke with director Cedric Pioline ahead of the event, and he confirmed that to the Serbian player.
"I must say after a few practice sessions, the conditions are different from last 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."
Djokovic is one of the few players who were able to do well on the clay courts, hard courts, and, in his case, even grass courts. Therefore, even though he likely has some preferences, the speed shouldn't impact his results as much.
"I can’t tell you what kind of speed of the court is best for everyone because everyone is different. 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."
