Daniil Medvedev fires Shanghai balls and makes shock claim as he expresses frustration

Daniil Medvedev felt the need to call the supervisor very early in his opening match of the Shanghai Masters, as the former world No. 1 complained that the balls used at the tournament were “not good enough” to compete at the professional level are used and also claimed that they were absolutely “destroyed” after just a few games.

The Russian, seeded No. 5, had a first-round bye before facing world No. 88 Thiago Seybo Wild. While the Russian started the match as a big favorite, he struggled early on and found himself trailing 1-3 in the first set.

At one point, Medvedev wanted to have a meeting with the regulator and his request was granted. When the referee entered the field, the 28-year-old did not hold back as he expressed his frustration with the balls.

“These balls are not good enough for professional tennis. This is one of the biggest tournaments in the world and the balls are destroyed after five matches. There is no pressure at all,” the Russian said.

Medvedev calls the supervisor to complain about the balls.

“These balls are not good enough for professional tennis. This is one of the biggest tournaments in the world and the balls are destroyed after 5 matches. No pressure at all.”

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 4, 2024

After getting into trouble early, Medvedev recovered by claiming breaks in the fifth and eleventh games to erase the deficit and win the opener 7-5. Something similar happened in the second set when Seyboth Wild took a 2-0 lead. However, it didn’t take long for the 2019 Shanghai Masters winner to bounce back as he broke the Brazilian in the third and 11th games, recording a straight-set win and setting up a third-round encounter against Matteo Arnaldi.

Remember when Medvedev compared Beijing’s balls to ‘grapefruit’?

It is not the first time that the 2021 US Open champion has complained about the balls used in hard court tournaments in China. Last year he famously described the balls used at the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing as ‘grapefruit’. The Russian claimed at the time that it was “impossible” to find a winner with them.

“Once you play a few shots with them, they get really big, a lot (fluffy)… it becomes like a grapefruit. We actually play 30-shot rallies, because it’s almost impossible to hit a winner. With these balls you have to be 100% on every point, until the last point of the match. I managed to do well, so I am happy with this,” Medvedev said in Beijing last year.

It should also be noted that the former world number 1 has regularly complained about the balls used on hard courts over the past two years. After suffering a mysterious wrist injury during the 2023 Australian Open, the Russian wondered what was to blame. But after talking to some other players who had also suffered mysterious upper body injuries, the 28-year-old realized it was probably all caused by the balls.

“I can say this now that the tournament is over. I don’t think these balls are good for hard courts. They changed something this year. I heard that players have problems with shoulders, elbows and wrists. I spoke to the supervisor for a moment, but the point is that I wonder what other players think about it,” Medvedev said after winning Rotterdam in February 2023.

“You’re not going to stand in the locker, you know, and come up to every other player and ask about the balls. I had wrist problems in Australia. So maybe when people start asking them, maybe I’ll finally be the only one arguing about the balls, and then I say: that’s my problem. If fifteen players come out and say: ‘Yes, I have the same feeling, then it’s a problem with the balls’.

Medvedev looks back on his victory against Seyboth Wild

Meanwhile, the No. 5 seed acknowledged that he didn’t have an easy time against Seyboth Wild and was pushed in both sets. However, he was glad that he could at least grow up when he needed it most.

“It’s a tough match. He’s playing well, really well against me. I felt like I played a really good match, just a few random mistakes, but it’s okay, it happens, and if not, I’ll stay strong, that’s why I managed to win twice at 5-All, and the team helped a bit with the wind. So overall I’m happy with my level and looking ahead, and yes, he’s a tough opponent to face to play,” Medvedev said.

When the current world number 5 next meets 36th-ranked Arnaldi, they will clash for the fourth time. Previously, the Russian defeated the Italian twice on hard court and also finished on the winning side when they met in Madrid this year.

Medvedev may not be too happy with the Shanghai balls, but he will certainly go into the match against Arnaldi as the favorite.