Hey there, fellow tennis enthusiasts It’s your girl Mia Johnson-Carter here, living the dream in Miami. I’m super excited to share some awesome news with you all about the latest controversy in the tennis world. Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 US Open champion, has been making headlines for his rant about the balls used at the Shanghai Masters.
Medvedev’s frustration is nothing new. He has always been known for his antics on the court, but this time, he’s taking it to a whole new level. During his opening match in Shanghai, he called the supervisor to complain about the balls, saying they are not good enough for professional tennis. He even went so far as to suggest that these balls benefit players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, giving them an extra edge.
“I don’t think anyone is changing. I think it basically favors people who can benefit power from dead balls. Some have better quality with this. Some don’t. Actually the two best players at doing this.. they’re already the best players in the world.. and I’m sure they would be without the balls, but with these balls.. they’re the only players who can generate crazy power,” Medvedev explained.
This isn’t the first time Medvedev has spoken out about the balls. He believes that the slower speed of the balls is causing matches to become longer, leading to more rallies and fewer aces. “Oh, I love quick matches, 6-2, 6-2, 50 minutes is the best match possible, honestly. But, again, I’m sorry to tell this again, but I wonder if I’m right, I do think that last two, three years the matches are in general longer on the ATP Tour, because the balls don’t go that fast, more longer rallies, more longer games, because you cannot serve aces, and I wonder if I’m right or if I’m telling some nonsense,” he said in his presser.
Despite his frustration, Medvedev is determined to make a run for the title in Shanghai. He hopes to avoid finishing the season without any trophies won. Since becoming an ATP champion in 2018, he has won at least one title every season.
By now, you probably know very well one of the funniest stat lines about Medvedev – he has 20 titles but has never won the same tournament twice. If he wins Shanghai – where he won it all in 2019 – that will finally come to an end.
In the Shanghai round-of-16, Medvedev plays against either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexandre Muller. It’s going to be an exciting match, and we can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
If you want, you can check out the news where I found it here.
Yours truly,
Mia