Taylor Fritz Slams 'Deadest Balls Ever' At Australian Open And Reveals Injury
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Taylor Fritz became the latest player to complain about the balls used at some tournaments. He hit out at how slow they were at the 2025 Australian Open.
Fritz lost in the Australian Open third round against Gael Monfils. Although the French veteran deserves credit for his excellent performance, the world No. 4's defeat in Melbourne was a significant upset.
The American's first tournament since that surprising loss was at the ongoing Dallas Open. However, he was the victim of another upset against Denis Shapovalov, falling to the Canadian in a deciding set tiebreak.
Although it was another setback, Fritz at least felt better about the balls used at the ATP 500 tournament in Dallas. He did not like them at the Australian Open and thought they were among the slowest he had ever played with.
After his victory against Arthur Rinderknech, Fritz said he had sustained an injury at the Australian Open. Due to the slow balls, it was difficult to hit through the court at the season's opening Grand Slams.
"It was my oblique. It was caused because of the balls that were supposed to be the same balls as the ones we were using here and the ones we use in Australia, but they just weren’t. They were like the deadest balls ever, so I was throwing my whole body into every single shot I hit."
"I think I maybe slightly tore something, but I’ve been rehabbing it the whole time here, just trying to get it good to play tonight. It felt pretty good tonight, so I’m happy."
Hopefully, that injury did not bother Fritz during his defeat against Shapovalov. He seemed okay, and the defeat was more down to the excellent level produced by an inspired Shapovalov during the contest.
Several players have discussed the balls used on the ATP tour in the last 12 months. Complaints are usually about how quickly the balls become slow or how often they are changed.
Carlos Alcaraz, who is competing at this week's Rotterdam Open, was among those players. He believes that changing balls so often harms players and leads to injuries because of the constant adjustments needed.
Daniil Medvedev thinks the balls are slower than a few months ago and argues that they benefit players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner more than him. She gave that opinion at the 2024 ATP Finals.
Alexander Zverev also spoke at last year's ATP Finals and backed up Medvedev's words. He spoke to manufacturers and discovered they cut their costs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the balls have remained deader since.
The number of players voicing disapproval might increase the pressure on the ATP organizers to take action. Having so many balls creates strain and risks the tour's best players missing key ATP events with injuries.
Hopefully, any tension about the issue behind the scenes can be resolved, and the best solution will be found for the players and the good of the game.
