Tennis star criticizes Australian open ball

 

Rafael Nadal wasn’t happy with the Australian Open as he vented his frustration days before the start of the Grand Slam tournament.

 

 

The tennis great aimed the balls used in the 2023 tournament, calling them “lower quality.”

 

 

Nadal dominated last year in an epic five-set battle with Daniel Medvedev, a victory that gave him his 21st Grand Slam title. He leads Roger Federer on the all-time leaderboard.

 

 

He will start his 2023 season as the top seed on Monday afternoon when he takes on Great Britain’s Jack Draper.

 

 

However, the 36-year-old came on after underwhelming performances, losing twice to Australia’s Alex De Minaur and England’s Cameron Norrie during the Sydney Union Cup.

 

 

He then lost to world No. 11 Hubert Hurkacz in practice on Thursday. All three matches have one thing in common, which Nadal sees as the most significant problem at the Australian Open.

 

 

The Spaniard said he had adapted to the Melbourne ground but said Dunlop, the Open’s new official ball, was causing the problem.

 

 

“No, there’s isn’t much of a difference in the speed of the pitch. The ball, yes. I don’t know.

 

 

“They say (it’s) the same, but there’s no question the quality of the ball is worse. We can’t talk about that anymore. That’s what we have. We need to play around with it.

 

 

“It’s a ball that doesn’t spin like it normally does. After a couple of hits, the ball loses its pressure. The right spin takes more work to hit. But I think the game is better when you play nicer on the shot. easy.”

 

 

Nadal’s style of play has been based on insane topspin for years, but with the new ball, he finds himself behind the eight-ball.

 

 

Still, the 22-time Grand Slam winner didn’t hold back and was ready to adapt to the challenge of the ball.

 

 

“I need to live with it,” he added. “I’ve practiced enough with the ball to be ready for that.”

 

 

Nadal brushed off the fact that he has lost six of his last seven bouts, saying the past few weeks have been positive.

 

 

“My momentum is okay, I tell you. I’m fine and happy. I’ve practiced well. Then I need to win a few games,” Nadal said.

 

 

“If it’s going to happen here – I hope. If not, I will keep trying to get there as soon as possible. I’m in a moment of improvement, and I’m getting better and better every week. My legs feel faster. I feel more confident to play better. The past three weeks of preparation have been very positive.

 

 

He added: “I’d love to come here with a couple of wins, yeah. That didn’t happen, so I needed to accept and live with it. I’m happy with the rest of the game I’ve been working on. I’m ready to try and play an excellent game of tennis on Monday. Then I need to make it happen and fight for it.”