The director of Indian Wells explained the change of balls that has occurred this edition and talked about his challenges at the helm of the Californian tournament.
Tommy Haas
The Australian Open 2026 is entering its final stretch, with the seasoned veteran Novak Djokovic emerging as a contender. Djokovic advanced directly to the quarterfinals following Jakub Mensik's withdrawal. The Serbian player conserved energy, and his displayed tennis skills to date give him a chance to claim his eleventh title in Melbourne. This is the opinion of former tennis player Tommy Haas: "As one gets older and recovery is not as effective as before, the luck he showed in removing Mensik from the draw can be seen as crucial in achieving that goal. Furthermore, his mental state is up to the challenge, possessing a unique experience and knowledge. However, defeating Sinner and then Alcaraz, if the draw dictates, is probably the toughest task in today's tennis. Additionally, Djokovic is Djokovic, and one should never count him out," concluded the German, in statements collected by SportKlub.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Haas, sobre las opciones de Djokovic en Australia: "Su estado mental está a la altura del desafío, tiene una experiencia única"
The former world No. 2, 47 years old, assessed the current situation of the best German tennis player at the moment, including his possible partnership with Toni Nadal in the upcoming tournaments.
In the early days of competition at the Indian Wells tournament, one of the most recurring topics of conversation has revolved around the conditions of a historically slow tournament, with a very high ball bounce, but which has seen an increase in the average of aces in the first competition days. Tommy Haas, director of the Californian tournament, pointed out that no modification has been made to the surface this summer, attributing the fast conditions to significant heat in California, also mentioning the reason why the tournament has decided to switch from the classic Penn balls to Dunlop.
"We have always liked the conditions of our courts. All the players know that when they come here, this is a rather sandy, rough hard court surface. That means the balls can be inflated a bit more, but in general, we enjoy how the conditions are. This year we are playing with the Dunlop ball, which means the players have the opportunity to play with the same ball at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open. Hopefully, that will generate less stress on their bodies", asserted the German convincingly.
(cont.) "puff up a little bit more. But overall [we] enjoy how it plays out... we're playing with the Dunlop ball this year which means the players have the opportunity to play with the same ball as Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami. Hopefully that's easier on their arms." pic.twitter.com/OWv8iqna1k
— Gill Gross 🌆 (@Gill_Gross) March 6, 2026
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tommy Haas, director de Indian Wells, explica el motivo del cambio de pelotas en el torneo
It's always good news to see Roger Federer back on a tennis court. This time, he coincided at an event with former tennis player Tommy Haas, and together they were able to delight the audience with the touch they both still possess. Specifically, the hitting session took place at the James Club in Los Angeles, an exclusive location with a full view of the Californian city's skyline. The Swiss showed that he still has the touch at 44, just like the German at 47.
Months after confirming his retirement, Dominic Thiem will return to the tennis courts. The Austrian player, former world number 3 and US Open champion, will play an exhibition match against Tommy Haas. This showdown will take place on July 20th at 12:00 PM in Rothenbaum, Hamburg.
Exhibition match at Rothenbaum in Hamburg:
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) July 4, 2025
Tommy Haas vs Dominic Thiem on Sunday, 20 July at 12:00. pic.twitter.com/UA2tROYZIR
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Thiem vuelve a las pistas en una exhibición en Hamburgo
The director of Indian Wells explained the change of balls that has occurred this edition and talked about his challenges at the helm of the Californian tournament.
In the early days of competition at the Indian Wells tournament, one of the most recurring topics of conversation has revolved around the conditions of a historically slow tournament, with a very high ball bounce, but which has seen an increase in the average of aces in the first competition days. Tommy Haas, director of the Californian tournament, pointed out that no modification has been made to the surface this summer, attributing the fast conditions to significant heat in California, also mentioning the reason why the tournament has decided to switch from the classic Penn balls to Dunlop.
"We have always liked the conditions of our courts. All the players know that when they come here, this is a rather sandy, rough hard court surface. That means the balls can be inflated a bit more, but in general, we enjoy how the conditions are. This year we are playing with the Dunlop ball, which means the players have the opportunity to play with the same ball at the Australian Open, Indian Wells, and the Miami Open. Hopefully, that will generate less stress on their bodies", asserted the German convincingly.
(cont.) "puff up a little bit more. But overall [we] enjoy how it plays out... we're playing with the Dunlop ball this year which means the players have the opportunity to play with the same ball as Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami. Hopefully that's easier on their arms." pic.twitter.com/OWv8iqna1k
— Gill Gross 🌆 (@Gill_Gross) March 6, 2026
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tommy Haas, director de Indian Wells, explica el motivo del cambio de pelotas en el torneo
The Australian Open 2026 is entering its final stretch, with the seasoned veteran Novak Djokovic emerging as a contender. Djokovic advanced directly to the quarterfinals following Jakub Mensik's withdrawal. The Serbian player conserved energy, and his displayed tennis skills to date give him a chance to claim his eleventh title in Melbourne. This is the opinion of former tennis player Tommy Haas: "As one gets older and recovery is not as effective as before, the luck he showed in removing Mensik from the draw can be seen as crucial in achieving that goal. Furthermore, his mental state is up to the challenge, possessing a unique experience and knowledge. However, defeating Sinner and then Alcaraz, if the draw dictates, is probably the toughest task in today's tennis. Additionally, Djokovic is Djokovic, and one should never count him out," concluded the German, in statements collected by SportKlub.
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Haas, sobre las opciones de Djokovic en Australia: "Su estado mental está a la altura del desafío, tiene una experiencia única"
It's always good news to see Roger Federer back on a tennis court. This time, he coincided at an event with former tennis player Tommy Haas, and together they were able to delight the audience with the touch they both still possess. Specifically, the hitting session took place at the James Club in Los Angeles, an exclusive location with a full view of the Californian city's skyline. The Swiss showed that he still has the touch at 44, just like the German at 47.
The former world No. 2, 47 years old, assessed the current situation of the best German tennis player at the moment, including his possible partnership with Toni Nadal in the upcoming tournaments.
Months after confirming his retirement, Dominic Thiem will return to the tennis courts. The Austrian player, former world number 3 and US Open champion, will play an exhibition match against Tommy Haas. This showdown will take place on July 20th at 12:00 PM in Rothenbaum, Hamburg.
Exhibition match at Rothenbaum in Hamburg:
— Michal Samulski (@MichalSamulski) July 4, 2025
Tommy Haas vs Dominic Thiem on Sunday, 20 July at 12:00. pic.twitter.com/UA2tROYZIR
This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Thiem vuelve a las pistas en una exhibición en Hamburgo