Overview
- Fritz beat Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets to reach the Shanghai Masters third round on Saturday and repeated during his on-court interview that the tournament balls left him ‘frustrated’ and ‘miserable’ when they wear out.
- He said the balls feel very fast when new but lose pace quickly, which gives returners extra time and makes finishing points much harder for aggressive players.
- Fritz has raised the issue before on his Big T Podcast and said he even special-ordered Yonex balls to replicate tournament conditions in practice so he would not have to adjust between events.
- He is scheduled to play Stefanos Tsitsipas next, who recorded his 400th ATP win in Shanghai and leads their head-to-head 4–2, making the match a key chance for Fritz to gain ranking points.
- Other top players have complained about inconsistent balls and some tournaments have adjusted court speed, so the debate could affect how events set balls and courts and how players prepare during the run-up to the ATP Finals.