Alexander Zverev calls out ATP for causing more injuries to players with 'dead' balls

Alexander Zverev has yet again blamed the ATP tour’s changing tennis balls for his recent injury. The German is competing at the 2025 United Cup while tending to an elbow issue.

Zverev kicked off his campaign by representing the defending champions, Germany, in their tie against Brazil on Sunday, December 29. Despite his 6-4, 6-4 win against Thiago Monteiro, World No. 2 wasn’t completely satisfied with his form and revealed that he’s been nursing an elbow issue ever since the 2024 ATP Finals.

"I didn't serve since Turin. I had a little bit of an elbow issue. I think my speeds still need to go up a little bit," he said in his post-match press conference.

After his second win against China’s Zhang Zhizhen (2-6, 6-0, 6-2) on Monday, Alexander Zverev was quizzed about his injury. The player conveyed that his elbow was “quite sore” and indicated that the balls provided by the ATP tour were only adding to the injury.

"It's quite sore. I'm working on it every day. It's just what it is. I think the balls are not helping," he said in his press conference. "They're dead. We've been having this discussion for I don't know how long."

"A lot of players nowadays have elbow issues, wrist issues, because that kind of subject, which wasn't the case maybe 15, 20 years ago, or 10 years ago when I started," Zverev added. "I'm working on it. Hopefully it's getting better every day."

This is not the first time that Alexander Zverev has touched on the subject. Alongside the likes of Daniil Medvedev and Stan Wawrinka, the German, too, has criticized the changing quality of tennis balls.

At the ATP Finals, he claimed that the balls employed by the ATP tour had declined in quality since COVID-19, after companies shifted to “different material” in an effort to “cut costs.”

"We've listened to players" – What ATP chief said in light of complaints from Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev

Alexander Zverev pictured at the 2025 United Cup - Image Source: Getty

During the 2024 ATP Finals, Andrea Gaudenzi, the chairman of the ATP, addressed the concerns regarding tennis balls raised by Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev, and others. The former player assured that the players’ complaints were examined seriously and measures were being taken.

"We have centralized the choice of balls," he told L’Equipe. "It will take a little time because the tournaments have contracts with the manufacturers and we have to wait for them to expire."

"But we have listened to the players and we want to bring back consistency in the tours with balls chosen by the ATP," he added.

Gaudenzi, however, clarified that the ATP tour won’t have any authority over the tennis balls chosen by Grand Slams.

"For example, from Monte-Carlo to Rome, they will be the same balls. On the other hand, we do not have control over the balls used by the Grand Slams," he explained. "We made this decision last year and it will be gradually applied in 2025."