Tennis

Dunlop responds to Rafael Nadal

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Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are fighting to win the most Grand Slams. The Serbian phenomenon is still in the running at the Australian Open, despite a left hamstring injury affecting his performance. The former world No. 1 defeated Grigor Dimitrov in three hard-fought sets and will challenge local darling Alex de Minaur for a place in the quarter-finals. Rafa, for his part, was eliminated in the second round by the American McDonald. As if that weren’t enough, the 36-year-old from Manacor suffered a second-degree lesion to his ileo-psoas that will keep him away from the fields for about two months. The 22-time Grand Slam champion will certainly miss the ATP 500 in Dubai, while his presence in Indian Wells and Miami remains uncertain. It wouldn’t be so surprising to see Nadal directly on the red clay of Monte Carlo. In recent days, several tennis players have complained about the Dunlop balls used in this edition of the Australian Open. Nadal, Djokovic, Murray and Felix Auger-Aliassime have been the toughest about it.

Dunlop responds to Djokovic and Nadal

Some tenors on the circuit have complained about the quality of the balls on this 2023 edition of the Australian Open, starting with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray or even Félix Auger-Aliassime. Dunlop, the official supplier of the tournament as it is also at the Turin Masters but also at the Monte‐Carlo Open for example, therefore wanted to clarify things for us. Moreover, tennis players know the quality of this ball recognized worldwide for its liveliness and durability. Afterwards, seasoned practitioners also know that climatic conditions can logically change certain sensations. This is also the speech of the brand. “We take player satisfaction very seriously. As the #1 ball on the tour, Dunlop now has 100 years of expertise in producing the very highest quality tennis balls. This year’s Dunlop AO ball is no different than previous editions. The innovative technology, premium materials and production process remain unchanged to ensure consistency, durability and performance. The organization has so far received only 5 complaints out of 700 players participating in the tournament. Many external factors can affect ball performance, including style of play, court surface, climate, humidity and changing conditions. The weather in Melbourne was very erratic, going from 38 degrees on Tuesday January 17, to 16 degrees with rain on Wednesday January 16. The very low temperature in Night Session can also explain this difference in sensation.”

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