"If Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner surrender injured and are losing early, it's gonna be interesting" - Jimmy Connors weighs in on ATP ball controversy

Jimmy Connors feels that the ATP ball controversy will get "interesting" if players like Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner start suffering injuries and losing early because of the frequent ball changes.

Several players, including Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Ben Shelton, have expressed their reservations about the inconsistency of the balls used on the tour. With some balls being heavier and bigger, there are concerns that players are at an increased risk of injuries.

In a recent episode of the Advantage Connors tennis podcast, Connors opined that the ATP should figure out a solution by talking to the players, who are the ones bringing fans into the game.

"I think somewhere down the line, they are gonna have to look into it because the guys that are selling the tickets and bringing the fans in are the ones that are complaining. So, you gotta have to sit down and talk to them and figure out what the right thing to do is so that they can continue to be out there playing. Because, the game goes on how the guys are playing," Connors stated.

"If Djokovic, Alcaraz, Sinner, if the top 5-6 guys all surrender injured and are losing early because of the balls, it's gonna be interesting to see where that goes," he added.

The eight-time Grand Slam champion feels that the chances of wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries have increased with the use of heavier balls and lighter rackets.

"With the equipment that they have today, the rackets and the string and so with the balls being heavy, the rackets are so light. So, with the ball like that, there's gonna be wrist injuries, elbow injuries and shoulder injuries," he said.

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"I don't think I can miss the ball" - Jimmy Connors on playing with the current balls used on tour

Jimmy Connors at the 2017 BNP Paribas Open

Jimmy Connors further said it is difficult to miss a shot playing with the current balls unless one puts extra effort to put the ball away. He maintained that it is "brutal" to just stand back and endlessly return the balls.

"I know for the little bit of tennis that I play with these balls, it's brutal, it's almost to a point where I can just stand back there and hit the balls. I don't think I can miss the ball unless I really just try to get on top of one and put a little extra," Connors said.

The American claimed that the current balls produce 15-25 shot rallies as players struggle to end points.

"That's where you are getting these 15-25 ball rallies, it's probably difficult to put the ball away," he added.

Jimmy Connors retired from professional tennis in 1996. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in the sport, having won 109 titles and 1,274 matches.