Ben Shelton joins fellow players in voicing concerns about ball changes on tour after facing "arm issues" ahead of Paris Masters

World No. 15 Ben Shelton has joined his fellow players in expressing concerns about alterations to the tennis ball used on tour.

After a first-round exit from the Vienna Open, Shelton is gearing up for the 2023 Paris Masters. His recent performances have been quite promising, marked by a quarterfinal appearance at the Shanghai Masters and a title-winning run at the Japan Open.

The American voiced his reservations about the adjustments made to the tour's tennis ball, pointing to the "arm issues" he grappled with just before the Paris Masters. Fellow players on the tour have likewise expressed comparable feelings discussing their challenges.

"Usually don't have an arm issues, but fifth tournament in a row playing with a different ball, I'm definitely feeling it this week," Ben Shelton said on his Instagram account

Apart from Shelton, Swiss veteran Stan Wawrinka and Novak Djokovic also voiced their concerns over the frequent changes in tennis balls used during tournaments. The 38-year-old took to social media to express his frustration, sharing an image of four different sets of balls used in four weeks, urging tournaments to listen to players.

"4 weeks, 4 different balls 🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️. When are the tournaments going to listen to players??"

"Can’t believe in 2023 it’s still happening! @atptour," Wawrinka wrote echoing sentiments similar to those expressed by Ben Shelton.

Djokovic, supporting the complaint, said that the inconsistency in balls across tournaments is causing more injuries and discomfort for players, calling for greater uniformity in the choice of tennis balls for different surfaces.

"Actually, [Sebastian] Korda, the player that I practiced with today, told me that this is fifth tournament now in a row that he's been playing with different balls," Novak Djokoic said during a press conference at the 2023 Paris Masters

"Yeah, this inconsistency is an issue, and that's what most of the players, and also of course including myself, we complain about. You know, I think there needs to be a bit more consistency with the balls so that we avoid any kind of issues with wrists and elbows and shoulders," he added

The Serb also said that the ATP board members are aware of the issue and are actively working to find a solution that ensures consistency and reduces the risk of injuries for players.

But I think that, you know, there is actually quite an understanding from Andrea [Gaudenz, President of ATP]and Massimo [Calvelli, CEO of ATP] about the players' comments and the issues that players have been communicating basically through media, as well," Djokvoic said.

"As I understood, there is going to be some board meetings happening soon where they will discuss the different options and things they could do. But I think overall, it's just, it would be nice for players that there is a consistency," the World No. 1 said

Unfolding Ben Shelton's remarkable breathrough season in 2023

Japan Open Tennis: Ben Shelton

Ben Shelton has been a breath of fresh air on the men's tour this year.

The 21-year-old has had an exceptional season so far, chalking up 27 wins from 52 matches, including a maiden quarterfinal run at the Australian Open and a breakthrough semifinal run at the 2023 US Open. He surprised on-goers and critics with his potent all-round game and maturity to adapt to different conditions at such a young age.

Shelton has been diligently striving to unlock his full potential and appears to be on the right track. He recently captured his first ATP title on the tour at the 2023 Japan Open in Tokyo. The youngster defeated the likes of Jordan Thompson, Tommy Paul and Marcos Giron en route to the finals and then showed his class against Aslan Karatsev to lift the title. He defeated the Russian in straight sets 7-5, 6-1.

The American is now gearing up to compete at the 2023 Paris Masters which is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 30. Top players on tour such as Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner are all expected to feature at the Masters 1000 event. It'll be interesting to see if Ben Shelton can make a significant impact in Paris.