"Just to make drama out of nothing": Casper Ruud slams colleagues for ball complaints

Casper Ruud criticized tennis players who "make drama" over balls following complaints from Novak Djokovic and Emma Raducanu. The world No. 8 shared his opinion on the constant ball changes on the Tour, which, according to several players, contribute to injury problems in both the ATP and WTA.

One of the players who recently criticized the balls was Raducanu, who had surgeries on both wrists in 2023 and has struggled with continuity due to recurring injuries. "I honestly think it’s really bad for us, the way that we have to switch balls every single week and especially when you’ve gone through surgeries," she said. "I don’t understand why every other sport is pretty much the same, whereas in tennis it’s different week to week."

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The 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic also believes the issue needs more research and discussion on the Tour. "There has been a lot of discussions on the effect of the different balls every week on the joints, the wrist, the shoulders, and the elbows," the world No. 4 said. "Someone told me that in terms of injuries this year compared to other years, it drastically has gone up. I absolutely agree there should be some discussion on that."

Players such as Iga Swiatek, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Elena Rybakina, and Stan Wawrinka have all voiced concerns as well. However, Ruud took a different stance during his recent appearance on the Nothing Major podcast. "You see players complain about the balls all the time. I’m getting so tired of it. Come on. Just play.”

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"What’s funny to me is some players come like five days in advance to practice. They string like 28 rackets to get the right tension. Then they come to the fourth round and start complaining about the balls,” Ruud stated. “But it’s been the same balls for the past nine days. What’s the point of bringing it up now to the umpire? Like, what is he gonna change? What’s the point? Just to make drama out of nothing,” he concluded.