Weiss Tennis

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 choosing one ball with which we will play all ATP tournaments. It is different & more difficult with the Grand Slams because each of the biggest tournaments we play, negotiates separately which sponsor they will have for the balls, but this also happens on the ATP tour. Every tournament has the right to negotiate. However, we simply have to find a way to unify, so that in each category on the ATP tour we have one ball to play with, depending on the surface. Sometimes that change of balls happens three times in three weeks depending on where we play, & it affects the health of the players & the joints themselves.. In that sense, I support the players complaining & asking the ATP to find a way to resolve it. They have to find a solution.. I didn't see that the ATP issued any statement regarding the player's complaints, & these are things that are incomprehensible to me. When you have tennis players from the top who are trying to reach you in public & say ‘Hey, let's talk about that topic,’ you have to make a statement, address them, & say ‘Okay, we understand, let's sit at the table, let's talk.’ I don’t understand why there is silence from their side. I hope they will realize that there simply must be direct communication. Likewise, it should be publicly announced that they have received this information & are working on it, in the sense that they will see how they can find a solution that is acceptable. Silence will not change anything.” (via Sportal)