Rotterdam, Netherlands – Growing discontent among ATP Tour players regarding the quality of tennis balls reached a fever pitch this week at the ABN AMRO Open, with multiple stars voicing frustration over the Head Tour XT balls in use. The complaints, following similar criticisms from from Daniil Medvedev, center on the balls’ inconsistent performance and perceived impact on the game’s competitive balance.
The chorus of concern swelled on Tuesday following a match between Alex de Minaur and Arthur Fils. De Minaur secured a victory, 7-6(3), 6-2, but both players were quick to express their dissatisfaction with the equipment. Fils, returning from a long-term back injury, was particularly blunt, describing the balls as “really terrible” and “unbelievable.”
“When we are playing at this level, literally playing professionally, very good players, then watching the balls after two games getting bigger and very slow, that is not normal,” Fils told Bolavip. “I don’t know who is in charge of it, maybe ATP, but they have to do better, because We see not normal to play with these balls at our level.”
De Minaur echoed Fils’ sentiments, stating he had “struggled a lot in practice” and felt “frustrated” with the Head balls. “I do get what Daniil says about the balls,” he added. “They are definitely not my favourite. I don’t think they are anyone’s favourite balls. They are very difficult to control.”
The complaints build on Medvedev’s outburst on during his three-set loss to Ugo Humbert. Medvedev famously questioned the balls’ roundness directly to the tournament supervisor, repeatedly asking, “Are they round? Head balls, are they round? Are you sure?” After confirmation they met specifications, he continued, “It’s a bit strange. So I think maybe we should consider not playing with Head balls.” He went further, suggesting a boycott, stating, “The Head Tour XT ball is not round, so we should not (be) playing with it, nobody should be buying it, we should not be promoting a tennis ball that is not round.”
Medvedev’s frustration extended to the balls’ impact on shot mechanics. “The problem is when you touch it with the racket, it does not react the same way on your shots, so how do you want us to play tennis?” he asked. He even physically discarded the balls after the exchange with the supervisor.
The issue isn’t isolated to Rotterdam. The same Head Tour XT balls were used the previous week at the Occitanie Open in Montpellier, France, but without the same level of public complaint. However, the court speed differed significantly between the two venues. Rotterdam’s court is measured at 34 on the Court Pace Index (CPI), categorized as medium-slow, while Montpellier’s was a medium-fast 40.7. Fils competed in both tournaments, providing a direct point of comparison.
The CPI, a metric used to assess court speed, measures the coefficient of friction and restitution, factoring in weather and player style. While providing some insight, the ATP acknowledges its limitations, noting it’s an average typically measured only on the show court and historical data is scarce.
The ATP Tour is actively working towards greater ball consistency across the tour. Last June, the organization announced “significant progress in delivering greater ball consistency” and centralized the ball-supplier selection process, moving away from a system where tournaments independently chose their suppliers. Full centralization is expected by the season.
Beyond the physical characteristics of the ball, players like de Minaur and Medvedev have also pointed to a strategic imbalance created by the Head Tour XT. De Minaur noted the balls “suit the big hitters, the players that have a big revolution on the ball and are able to hit through that.” Medvedev previously expressed a similar concern at the Shanghai Masters in , suggesting only players with “crazy power” like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz could effectively utilize them.
Medvedev’s complaints have been a recurring theme on the tour. Despite stating at the Australian Open last month that balls were “getting better,” his sentiment quickly reversed in Rotterdam. He reportedly exclaimed after his match against Humbert, “these balls are horrible. Please delete these f—ing balls from this f—ing life.”
Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz have also been vocal critics of the balls used on the ATP Tour. Fritz has repeatedly called for a change in balls and an end to the practice of switching balls between events, linking the current system to an increase in player injuries and a perceived slowing of match play, though tour data indicates rally lengths have remained stable or even decreased in recent years.
For now, players at the ABN AMRO Open are left to adapt. De Minaur, the tournament’s top seed, acknowledged the challenge, stating, “It is what it is. The ball or the court is not going to change and my job is to adapt and do my best and continue doing that.” He will face either Thijs Boogaard or Stan Wawrinka in the round of 16 on .
