Casper Ruud lambasts Novak Djokovic and others for 'making drama'

In recent weeks, several top tennis stars, including Emma Raducanu and Novak Djokovic, have expressed growing frustrations over the use of varying types of balls across tournaments. Their complaints suggested that this inconsistency may be leading to a spike in injuries. However, Casper Ruud has come forward with a strong counterpoint, slamming these claims and calling out players for "making drama" around the issue.

In a recent episode of the Nothing Major podcast Casper Rudd said, "You see players complain about the balls all the time. I’m getting so tired of like it. Come on. Just play. For me what’s funny is some players come like five days in advance to practice.” 

“They string like 28 rackets to get the right tension. Then they come to the fourth round and start complaining about the balls. But it’s been the same balls for the past nine days. What’s the point of bringing it up now to the umpire? Like what is he gonna change? What’s the point? Just to make drama out of nothing”, he concluded.

What did Raducanu and others have said?

Emma Raducanu, who has faced ongoing struggles with injuries, particularly in her wrists, recently voiced her concerns about the need to change balls so frequently. She argued that the constant switching is especially challenging for players recovering from surgeries, saying, "It’s really bad for us... when you’ve gone through surgeries. I don’t understand why every other sport is pretty much the same, whereas in tennis it’s different week to week.”

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic, who has an impressive record with 24 Grand Slam titles, also weighed in on the matter, underscoring the need for further investigation. According to Djokovic, there has been a notable increase in injuries this year, affecting players’ wrists, shoulders, and elbows. He noted, “Someone told me that in terms of injuries this year compared to other years it drastically has gone up. I absolutely agree there should be some discussion on that.”

This divide within the tennis community highlights a key debate over the impact of equipment on athlete health and performance. While the likes of Raducanu and Novak Djokovic argue that standardization could potentially reduce injury risk, Ruud’s comments reflect a more traditionalist stance.