Carlos Alcaraz Calls For Change After 'Many Injuries' From Different Balls Each Week
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Carlos Alcaraz has outlined why he thinks playing with different balls every week on the ATP Tour is bad for players and should be changed.
Alcaraz won his opening match at the 2025 Rotterdam Open against Botic van de Zandschulp despite not having fully recovered from an illness he sustained after the 2025 Australian Open.
However, the Spaniard was pretty positive about his health afterward and expected it to continue improving. Instead, Alcaraz saved his irritation for the variety of balls used on the ATP Tour throughout the year.
In a press conference after beating van de Zandschulp, Alcaraz said the number of balls used leads to injuries, and it is difficult for the players to try to adjust at every tournament they play because they keep changing.
"I think last year there were many injuries, many players with elbow or shoulder issues. Something needs to change. I know they will change it. Every week, practically every week, we have different balls, different conditions, so it's complicated to adapt to them."
The four-time Grand Slam champion holds that opinion even though he has yet to sustain any injury issues due to the balls. Although Alcaraz expects the ATP to change the number of balls used, he admitted that players must do their best until then.
"However, we are here to give our best and give the best of ourselves. I have not had physical problems because of it so far, I work every day to be in shape, right now I'm fine. And the cold is getting better little by little (laughs)."
Alcaraz is not the first man to complain about the balls. However, players are unhappy for different reasons, and injury concerns are not the only factor influencing ATP stars' annoyance.
Daniil Medvedev says the balls used are much slower than in the past. Some might expect differing speeds because of the various balls used throughout the season, but the former US Open champion thinks they are all slower.
Medvedev argues that how quickly the balls become fluffed up, making it harder to hit winners, suits players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner more and has hampered his chances of beating them consistently.
Alexander Zverev has a unique insight into why the balls changed in recent years from being a member of the ATP Players Council and having discussions with the manufacturers of the balls used on the ATP Tour.
The German says the manufacturers cut their costs significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, which harmed the quality of the balls. Despite the pandemic ending a few years ago, they have never returned to their previous level.
By contrast, Casper Ruud slammed those complaining about the balls when speaking about the issue last year. The Norwegian thinks these players are looking for issues to complain about and should focus on their careers.
However, the complaints about the variety of balls used and how quickly they get fluffed up remain and are unlikely to go away for the ATP Tour organizers anytime soon.
