In a bold move echoing his previous discontent with the ATP, the Canadian player and co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), alongside Novak Djokovic, has taken an unconventional approach to his tournament schedule. He has decided to choose matches in the coming season based on the type of tennis balls used rather than factors like geography and court surface.
Earlier this year, PTPA co-founder Vasek Pospisil criticized the tennis governing bodies for allegedly slowing down the game by introducing heavier balls, leading to a surge in injuries among players. He had expressed his concerns on social media, urging the authorities to reconsider their decisions. Pospisil stated, “If these changes to the ball don’t start getting reversed, it’s only going to get worse”
This has created a buzz in social media with the tennis community backing him on the issue, with one expressing, “Terrible that it has come to this!!! Wishing you the best of luck for the year ahead.”
Terrible that it has come this!!! Wishing you the best of luck for the year ahead 🙏
— Zara (@ZaraJ00) December 6, 2023
Fans have also voiced concern for the players in general, with another saying, “This is wild and shouldn’t be a thing. These players have to deal with way too much; it’s not ok.” Yet another fan criticized the ATP for being so indifferent to the players’ concerns, making a direct jibe, “It needs changing ATP….oh that’s right, I forgot you don’t care about the players’ welfare…smh!”
It needs changing ATP….oh that’s right, I forgot you don’t care about the players welfare…smh! https://t.co/lLoydYrYHQ
— Louise C. (@Lou__007) December 5, 2023
This unconventional stand by Vasek Pospisil to drive his point home follows earlier concerns from top players like Daniil Medvedev. Stan Wawrinka and Stefanos Tsitsipas have talked about the impact of such balls on their physical well-being.
Novak Djokovic urges ATP for action on lingering ball issue
World No. 1 and head of the players’ parallel council, PTPA, Novak Djokovic has called on the ATP to address players’ concerns regarding recent ball changes, emphasizing the urgent need for action. Djokovic, echoing the sentiments of many players and his PTPA colleague, Vasek Pospisil, highlighted the validity of their concerns, pointing to numerous instances of wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries attributed to heavy balls.
Showing his solidarity with fellow players, the 24-time major champion has requested from the ATP a standardized approach to ball selection based on playing surfaces as a crucial step in mitigating the growing problem.
Novak Djokovic supports players who have spoken out about injuries due to frequent ball changes & says ATP’s silence is incomprehensible:
“There is certainly a connection between frequent injuries of the wrist, elbow, & shoulder with ball changes. I am absolutely in favor of… pic.twitter.com/sdbQAS3Dnb
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) October 11, 2023
Expressing his dismay, Djokovic finds the ATP’s silence in response to player complaints extremely perplexing. Rather than acknowledging the players’ concerns with a commitment to making constructive efforts, the governing body of men’s tennis has chosen to remain silent.
During an interview, Djokovic aired his frustration, declaring, “I didn’t see any statement from the ATP regarding the player’s complaints, and these things are incomprehensible to me.” Djokovic stressed the need for direct engagement between the ATP and players on this issue to achieve a consensus.