Verifying Rafael Nadal's claims that Australian Open 2023 balls favor flat and big hitters

Even before the 2023 Australian Open began, Rafael Nadal virtually predicted success for players who like to hit the ball very hard and, more importantly, flat. The Spanish tennis legend's assessment came from his experience of playing a few matches and practicing with the new Dunlop tennis balls being used during the Australian Summer of Tennis.

As the tournament has progressed, Nadal's viewpoint seems to hold truer.

The Spaniard played two matches at the United Cup, against Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur, respectively, before a few intense practice sessions in Melbourne ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the new season. All of that was with the new official Australian Open ball, manufactured by Dunlop, which he declared as having a "worse quality" compared to the balls used in Australia last year.

Nadal's dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that the new Dunlop balls are lacking the usual spin on them. The 22-time Grand Slam champion highlighted that the ball tends to lose pressure a lot quicker than usual, rendering him and other players who prefer to add more top-spin to their shots, unable to do so as effectively.

Nadal then stated his belief that the new Australian Open tennis balls would benefit the bigger and flat hitters.

"They say [it] is the same, but the ball is worse quality, without a doubt," Rafael Nadal said in a press conference before the start of his Australian Open campaign.

"I think it’s a ball that doesn’t get the same spin as usual. After a couple of hits, the ball loses the pressure. It’s more difficult to hit with the right spin.

"I think it is easier to play when you play flatter on the shots. But I need to live with it. I think I have practised enough with the ball to be ready for it."

Exactly a week since the start of the main draw and results so far show why the Spaniard's claims have merit. The quarterfinals line-up on the women's side was set early on Monday and it abundantly features players who like an aggressive style of play in terms of flat hitting.

The most prominent of the big hitters who have made the Australian Open last-eight are Aryna Sabalenka, Karolina Pliskova, and Elena Rybakina, all of whom have dominated the field so far. Between them, they have dropped just the solitary set.

Jelena Ostapenko, Jessica Pegula, Magda Linette, Victoria Azarenka, and Donna Vekic complete the quarterfinal line-up, and there is no shortage of big hitters there as well. Rybakina's win over world No.1 Iga Swiatek and Ostapenko's win over Coco Gauff were testament to the advantage a flat-striking style is having for the players.

The top half of the men's draw, where Nadal lost in the second round, features more such players who can do damage with their heavy hitting and 'less top-spin' games. First-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Sebastian Korda and 18th seed Karen Khachanov are getting rich dividends from displaying such playing styles, while 3rd seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is also flourishing.

Meanwhile, the bottom half of the draw features fourth-round opponents Andrey Rublev and Holger Rune, both of whom like to hammer the ball around with their flat hitting. At the same time, players such as Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, JJ Wolf, and Michael Mmoh, part of the 'American surge' at the 2023 Australian Open, have also enjoyed successful campaigns.

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Despite criticism from Rafael Nadal, Stan Wawrinka, John Millman, others, Australian Open to continue using Dunlop balls in future

Rafael Nadal speaks during a 2023 Australian Open press conference.

Rafael Nadal's thoughts on the quality of the new tennis balls being used at the Australian Open were also echoed, among others, by the likes of Stan Wawrinka and John Millman, who agreed that the ball loses a lot of pressure very quickly into use and favors big and flat hitters. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray also commented on the quality of the Dunlop tennis balls.

However, the Australian Open authorities have reportedly signed an extension deal with ball manufacturer Dunlop, by which the new tennis balls will be used at the Melbourne Major for at least five more years.

While multiple players have expressed their dissatisfaction, the organizers have insisted that the type of ball being used at this year's Australian Open is the same as last year's. It will now be interesting to see whether more players voice their concerns with the Dunlop ball and how it affects the tournament going forward.