Richard Gasquet rips new 'supermarket quality' balls used on ATP Tour

• Tennis News
• ATP Tennis

Richard Gasquet is the latest player to publicly complain about the new balls used on the ATP Tour, describing them as "a supermarket quality." Gasquet, who will be turning 37 in June, is one of the most experienced players on the Tour and he insists something is just not right with the new balls.

“We have a problem since COVID, all the balls are slower there is no longer any doubt about it. I’ve been saying it for two years, it’s nothing new. As soon as they got that big (mimics a balloon), I said to my trainer, ‘What is this s***?’ Now people are starting to talk about this everywhere, but I’m sure they are not like before.

So they were light, fast, it was one of my strengths, I was able to control them very well. Now, it doesn’t matter the brand and with only a couple of exceptions, its quality is close to being supermarket," Gasquet said, per Tennishead.

Gasquet joins other top players in complaining about the balls

At the Australian Open, Andy Murray said it was "difficult to hit the winners once you are in the rally." In late February, Daniil Medvedev said he suspected that the new balls caused his wrist pain at the Australian Open.

A week ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas suggested that the new balls caused his shoulder injury. According to Tsitsipas, there are more players complaining about the balls in the locker room. “I think the biggest issue this year was the change in balls and that was an issue that has been discussed among the players.

Balls need to stay the same in most tournaments and especially on hard surfaces. This benefits us all and protects players from injury. I have had comments from other players about the balls at the beginning of the year and that they had a significant impact on the shoulders, wrists, and arm in general. I think that’s where my injury comes from," Tsitsipas said in Miami.