Daniil Medvedev reached for a drastic solution during his French Open first-round match against Cameron Norrie, requesting a complete change of string type mid-match. The 29-year-old, uncomfortable striking the ball, switched from a hybrid of natural gut and polyester strings to a full polyester setup. Medvedev said he had never made such a change before 2023, adding that something had changed on tour and he was forced to adapt.
Medvedev is among a growing number of leading players expressing frustration with the quality and behaviour of tennis balls. Novak Djokovic said the balls were probably the biggest difference he noticed compared with 10 or 15 years ago. Emma Raducanu described the deterioration of balls as a big challenge, noting that they became very fluffy and that many wrist, elbow and shoulder injuries were occurring.
The fluffing of the felt covering on new balls makes them less aerodynamic, causing them to travel more slowly and leading to longer rallies. Many players believe balls fluff up more quickly than in the past. Some of the issues have been attributed to production line problems during the Covid-19 pandemic, which affected the consistency and quality of felt supplied to manufacturers.
The changing nature of the balls has had varying effects on players. Cameron Norrie, who generates less power, said the balls became messed up easier in some tournaments, making it harder to impose his game. Casper Ruud, known for his heavy topspin, said players were handling his shots much better than before Covid, leaving him surprised at how well opponents could step in and hit back.
In response, many players have turned to natural gut strings alongside polyester to generate more power, or adjusted their string tension. Despite the difficulties, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have continued to dominate, with their destructive weapons allowing them to hit through the less lively balls.
