Djokovic highlighted improvements to ball consistency at Flushing Meadows, noting fewer injuries across the tournament.
Novak Djokovic has once again cruised into the third round of the US Open, but it wasn’t just his win making headlines. The 24-time Grand Slam champion praised a change at Flushing Meadows that he believes is helping players stay healthier and more consistent throughout the tournament.
READ MORE: Coco Gauff survives US Open scare as Rick Macci predicts serve will dominate WTA
Whether it’s sharing advice with younger players or pushing for better conditions behind the scenes, Djokovic has always been more than just a champion. His impact will last well beyond his playing days.
This time, he took a moment to acknowledge what seemed like a positive change from the US Open organisers – one that many players had been hoping for.
Novak Djokovic points out a US Open change that had been bothering many players
After his win over Zachary Svajda, which took him into the third round, Novak Djokovic spoke to reporters about the conditions at Flushing Meadows and how they’re impacting his play this year.
“I think that the court speed… I can’t recall actually, what was the year when it changed, when it started being slightly quicker than what it used to be, but it’s been now pretty much the same speed for some years back. But I think it’s the balls that are different,” he explained.
He then went into far greater depth about the balls, as insightful as ever. Novak Djokovic continued: “Whether it’s the rubber, whether it’s the fluff, I don’t know what it is, but it is different or was different.
But I’ve been hearing that a lot of players think there is some consistency now with the balls they’ve used in US Open series tournaments coming into US Open and they say most of them are almost exactly the same. That’s good to hear.
We can instantly see less injuries with joints too. There was an unfortunate trend of injuries two or three years ago.”
I understand there are two or three factories in China producing pretty much all of them for all brands and tournaments so if anything changes within that production chain you can feel it. It’s also a question of storage and how long they’re stored for because pressure goes down inside.”
Frances Tiafoe offers a different view on the US Open ball debate
Djokovic wasn’t the only one to comment on the balls being used at this year’s tournament, with Tiafoe also sharing his perspective.
But unlike Djokovic, he didn’t seem too interested in how they’re made or what’s different about them. Instead, he pointed out that everyone has to play with the same balls, so there’s not much point in making a fuss over it.
He told reporters: “No but seriously, in that department, it doesn’t really… I don’t really get why guys are so open arms about it. You know, like.”
“I feel that’s all a lot of guys are talking about. And it doesn’t really make sense. It’s the same for both guys.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
