Exclusive: John McEnroe not impressed by debate over 'worse' balls at the Australian Open 2023

ByEurosport

Updated 22/01/2023 at 07:13 GMT

John McEnroe has given Eurosport his view on the argument that the balls at this year's Australian Open are too heavy. He believes the debate is a non-starter and that "you're not gonna be hearing much talk about the balls anymore" in the second week of the Grand Slam. Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger Aliassime are just a few of the players who have spoken about this year's balls.

'Pretty much nothing' - McEnroe on Australian Open ball debate

John McEnroe says the argument that players are making of balls at the Australian Open being too heavy is “much to do about nothing”.

Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are just two of the leading voices who have commented on the quality of the Dunlop balls being used at Melbourne Park this year.

Djokovic said: “I think we are going to see more of those longer duration of matches this year than we have maybe last year.

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“One of the biggest reasons will probably be the ball because, particularly on the big courts, I don’t think the speed of the surface has changed much.

“The outside courts are pretty quick. The stadium courts are a bit slower. But the ball is slower. So that affects the play.”

Nadal said the balls were “worse quality" than last year, while other players, including Stanislas Wawrinka, have agreed with the 22-time Grand Slam winner that the balls wear down easily, which makes it harder to generate top spin.

Australian Open chief executive Craig Tiley has argued that abnormal weather conditions in Melbourne, including increased humidity, have contributed to how the balls are playing on the courts.

McEnroe does not believe there is a debate to be had about the balls and that the complaints to umpires about them during matches are more to do with players feeling nervous.

“It's much to do about pretty much nothing,” he told Eurosport.

“But of course, I'm just a commentator, so way back when I was a player, you would be amped up or anxious about pretty much everything.

“‘Oh it's too hot, it's too cold, it's too windy, I play too late, I play too early, the tension is not right in my racquet, the balls get too heavy’.”

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McEnroe says if players are having issues with the balls then they should simply adjust the string tension of their racquets.

“Of course, the balls get heavier after the way these guys and girls hit it now,” he said. “How about you bring racquets with different tensions?

“So that after three or four games, if in fact the balls are getting heavier or you think they are getting heavier, use the frame with slightly looser strengths."

He continued: “So these adjustments, players generally are incredible about making adjustments.

“I think that's one of the things that tennis players do better than almost anyone in any sport. They have to go to different time zones, they play at different times, they play with different balls.

“These things are par for the course for tennis players, so usually when people are amped up and nervous about how they are going to do in the tournament and they get closer to it, everything seems to be wrong.

“I think eventually, you will see now it's the end of the first week, you're not gonna be hearing much talk about the balls anymore.”