Taylor Fritz blames 'the deadest balls ever' for shock injury after transition from Australian Open to Dallas Open

Taylor Fritz made a surprising injury revelation after his first-round win at the Dallas Open, attributing it to the unexpected ball differences between the competition and the Australian Open. The American claimed the variation led to an oblique injury.

On Wednesday, February 5, Fritz took to the court for the first time since losing to Gael Monfils in Melbourne over two weeks ago. The break seemed to have helped the top seed who looked in rejuvenated form and earned a solid 6-4, 6-2 win against Arthur Rinderknech to advance.

During a post-match interview with the Tennis Channel, Fritz was asked what he was up to during the break between the Australian Open and the Dallas Open. The World No. 4 revealed that he trained, played some golf, and nursed an injury. Opening up in detail about his injury, Fritz blamed the difference in balls used across tournaments, saying:

"It was my oblique. It was caused because of the balls that were supposed to be the same balls as the ones we were using here and the ones we use in Australia, but they just weren’t. They were like the deadest balls ever, so I was throwing my whole body into every single shot I hit."

"I think I maybe slightly tore something, but I’ve been rehabbing it the whole time here, just trying to get it good to play tonight. It felt pretty good tonight, so I’m happy," Taylor Fritz added.

The variation in balls and playing conditions across tournaments has been a long-running issue on the ATP Tour, with several players blaming it for their injuries. Stanislas Wawrinka and Zizou Bergs have spoken out about the risks, while Fritz has previously agreed with their concerns.

Daniil Medvedev frequently raises the topic, emphasizing its impact. Most recently, Carlos Alcaraz acknowledged the problem, admitting that ball changes contribute to injuries and expressing hope that improvements will be made.

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Taylor Fritz reflects on his Dallas Open 1R win

Taylor Fritz at the ATP 500 Dallas Open 2025 - Source: Getty

After a dominant opening win at the Dallas Open, Taylor Fritz highlighted the effectiveness of his serve as the key to victory. The American was pleased with his ability to mix up placements and maintain a high first-serve percentage.

"It's nice to go out and just take care of my serve, find a couple breaks and and win four and two," Taylor Fritz said post-match. "I feel like I served a pretty good percentage of first serves [67 per cent]... and they were quality. I was hitting close to lines, mixing it up well, not really giving him a chance to figure out where I was serving or get a good hit on the returns. That was a big key to the match."

In the next round, Fritz will take on Canadian Denis Shapovalov who defeated Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 in the Round of 32.