Alexander Zverev may have further concerns about the balls used on the ATP Tour when he begins his Paris Masters campaign. Tournament director Cedric Pioline has confirmed that the Masters 1000 event will use Dunlop balls this week.
The announcement follows Zverev’s three-set semi-final defeat by Alex De Minaur at the Vienna Open on Saturday. During that match, the German questioned the suitability of the Dunlop balls, asking the chair umpire whether it was normal to play with them in a tennis tournament.
Zverev later said that the balls and court in Vienna were “incredibly slow” and that De Minaur dealt with those conditions better. The defeat also left Zverev with a 3-9 record against top-10 opponents.
The world No 1 had previously joined other players in criticising the Wilson balls and conditions at the Montreal tournament earlier this year. Pioline’s confirmation means Dunlop balls will also be used in Paris as part of an ATP plan to create greater consistency throughout the autumn swing from Shanghai to Turin.
“It’s a change imposed by the ATP, so that there is consistency across the entire autumn swing,” Pioline said. He added that the measure was intended to benefit players and that the ATP had established a system to ensure tournaments would not be financially penalised by the change.
Pioline has also indicated that the Paris courts will play faster this year, following complaints about slow conditions in 2025, when Zverev lost in the semi-finals. It remains to be seen whether the quicker courts will offset his concerns about the Dunlop balls.
Zverev will start his Paris campaign in the second round against in-form Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian leads their head-to-head record 3-2.
Sources: Tennis365.