"Say bye to your shoulders, wrists, elbows" - Daria Kasatkina sounds off on controversy surrounding tennis balls

Daria Kasatkina did not hold back as she chimed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding the frequent changes in tennis balls.

The ATP, the WTA, and the ITF have come under fire this season due to the tennis balls becoming heavier and changing with every tournament. The governing bodies have additionally been called out for slowing down the courts as well. The combination of slow courts and heavy balls has led to a sharp increase in injuries among players.

Former World No. 8 Daria Kasatkina shared her thoughts on the issue on her 'Zabiiako & Kasatkina' YouTube vlogging channel.

“I remind you, there are different courts, I’ll open a secret, when they write that surface is hard, it’s not always the same surface, it’s like the same, but it can be faster or slower depending on who they bought it from, etc” she explained in her vlog about her tournament in Tokyo [6:45].

“So, each tournament can have different surface, for example, now in Tokyo was very fast. How it will be in Beijing now, I already don’t remember, will see, maybe changed something,” Daria Kasatkina said before her China Open stint.

She then stated how the constant changes in balls have been affecting her. The Russian suggested that the balls have led to a rise in injuries in the players’ shoulders, wrists, and elbows. Kasatkina also said that they have had an impact on their mental health as a result.

“Of course, different ball, in this series of tournaments, out of the four tournaments that I will play, 4 different balls. Say bye to your shoulders, wrists, elbows, and most importantly, mentality. Let’s go,” she said.

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Apart from Daria Kasatkina, Paula Badosa sounded off on the controversy around the changing tennis balls

Paula Badosa has been out of action for the most part of 2023 due to a spinal fracture

Daria Kasatkina’s colleague Paula Badosa, who has been plagued by a spinal injury this season, recently claimed that the WTA has failed to protect the players.

Following a complaint from Challengers-circuit player Gastao Elias about the ‘inhumane’ manner in which the ATP has been making players compete with the heavy balls, Badosa stated that the issue also prevails in the WTA.

"I demand @atptour to pay for all the physiotherapy I will need after playing with these balls they are making us play with. I’ve been on tour for many years and I’ve never seen anything like this. This is inhumane," Elias wrote on X.

“Agree! The issue is not only ATP unfortunately… With the WTA we are having the same problems for years as well. We need a change from both sides," Paula Badosa said in response.

Apart from Badosa and Kasatkina, several other top players such as Ons Jabeur, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Stan Wawrinka, and Stefanos Tsitsipas have expressed their concerns.