Medvedev: "These balls favor Sinner and Alcaraz"

Diego Jiménez Rubio | 6 Oct 2024 | 14.03

Daniil Medvedev talks about the balls in Shanghai. Photo: gettyimages

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He never holds back his tongue under any circumstance. Daniil Medvedev has complained numerous times about the balls this year, but at this ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2024, he took it a step further, pointing out that they favor the game of the current top two players and explaining the reason behind it.

He is one of the most charismatic players at the moment, unafraid to speak out on controversial issues and with his unique ways of protesting. Daniil Medvedev went viral during his match against Arnaldi at the ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 2024 for graphically showing his disdain for the balls being used, wiping his butt with one of them. He later elaborated on this incident, along with his clash with the chair umpire over that gesture, which earned him two warnings and a penalty point.

- Medvedev admits to losing his cool on the court

"I admit that sometimes I lose it. I've spent my whole life trying to find a way not to lose my temper and stay calm, but you never know what might work at times. There have been times when I crossed the line, and that cannot happen, but today wasn't one of those," stated the Russian before explaining his dispute with the umpire.

"What happened is that I got upset about the first warning I received (for wiping my butt with the ball) and started covering my mouth while talking to the chair umpire. I wasn't really saying anything, just muttering things like 'you're so bad, you're bad.' Then I got the second warning, and that's when I lost it a bit. Fortunately, I was able to turn that anger into improving my tennis," affirmed the current world number 4, who could soon secure his spot in the ATP Finals 2024.

- Daniil Medvedev explains why the balls benefit his top rivals

"I don't think it's possible to change your game style too much to adapt to these balls. What happens is that they benefit those players who are better at accelerating the ball when it comes without much power. The top two in the world are the ones who do this best; they are the only ones who can generate incredible power with these balls, so they benefit a lot from them, but I'm sure they would still be the best without them," he commented.

"I try to fight with what I have, I try to improve the power of my shots, even though I've never had it, since I was young, because of my body type. I even did medical tests on my muscles to see if I had room for improvement in power and explosiveness, but it's not possible. I can generate a lot of speed with my shots when responding to powerful balls, but not accelerate a dead ball. I try to do what I can and will fight until the end," warned Daniil Medvedev, who demands much livelier balls, a request that is widespread as the current heavy balls lead to wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Medvedev: "Estas pelotas favorecen a Sinner y Alcaraz"

Daniil Medvedev