PLAYER REVOLT: TAYLOR FRITZ LEADS MASSIVE OUTCRY AGAINST INDIAN WELLS' NEW TENNIS BALLS
Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev are sounding the alarm over "terrible" Dunlop tennis balls ahead of the 2026 Indian Wells Masters.
Taylor Fritz isn’t happy with the new Dunlop tennis balls. Honestly, he thinks the quality “dropped a lot” just as everyone heads into Indian Wells, the first Masters 1000 event of the year.
This year, Dunlop is taking over from Penn as the official ball supplier. But in the weeks before the tournament, players started complaining. They just don’t like how these balls feel and play.
Fritz joined in, saying the Dunlop balls are slow and wear out way too fast. He didn’t hold back; he flat-out said they just aren’t up to standard.
“The next tournament is Indian Wells, and, honestly, it’s going to be very interesting,” Fritz said. “This year they’re changing the ball, and we’ll be playing with the Dunlop, which is the one we use most on the tour.
“The thing is, the Dunlop, in general, is slow. When it wears down, it gets even slower, and lately it’s been wearing down very quickly. I really think the quality of the balls has dropped a lot.”
Fritz offered a fix: swap out the balls more often. Right now, he says, players go too many games between changes.
“On fast courts, the Dunlop works very well, but on slow courts it’s awful. It wasn’t such a big problem before, so I think the frequency of ball changes should also be changed. Seven or nine games are too many. The other day, at 3-3 in the first set, I was looking at the ball and thinking, ‘How are we playing professional tennis with this?’ It’s ridiculous.”
Fritz isn’t the only one complaining. Daniil Medvedev, never shy with his opinions, said it’s impossible to play with Dunlop balls. “The problem is when you touch it with the racket, it does not react the same way on your shots, so how do you want us to play tennis?” he said.
World No. 6 Alex de Minaur agreed. He struggled with the balls even in practice and said they’re just tough to control. “I have struggled a lot in practice,” de Minaur said. “I have actually been quite frustrated with the balls in practice, which is not like me. I do get what Daniil says about the balls. They are definitely not my favourite. I don’t think they are anyone’s favourite balls. They are very difficult to control.”
Arthur Fils didn’t mince words either: “They are terrible. Really terrible. The ball is very bad. It is unbelievable.”
HISTORY ON LINE: NOVAK DJOKOVIC BEGINS INDIAN WELLS RUN TO SNATCH FEDERER’S TITLE RECORD
Is Djokovic the GOAT? Discover how Novak plans to break Roger Federer’s Indian Wells title record in the 2026 California desert.
Novak Djokovic is gearing up for his 17th run at Indian Wells, chasing a sixth Masters title in California. The draw hasn’t done him any favours, but plenty of experts still see him as a real threat to win it all.
He’s coming in hot, too. Djokovic kicked off the season by making it to the Australian Open final, only falling to Carlos Alcaraz at the very end.
There’s even more at stake this year. If Djokovic lifts the trophy at Indian Wells, he breaks a tournament record that Roger Federer currently shares with him.
Now, Federer’s name is all over the Indian Wells record books. Even after retiring in 2022, he still holds eight records there. You see his name next to most finals played, most matches played and won, and the most editions entered.
Right now, Federer and Djokovic are tied for most titles at Indian Wells, each with five. They also share a couple of other records, but this year, Djokovic has a shot at pulling ahead. If he wins, he grabs that title record outright, which would leave Federer with seven Indian Wells records to himself.
When it comes to head-to-head battles at Indian Wells, Djokovic has always had Federer’s number. They’ve faced off three times on those courts, and Djokovic came out on top every single time.
Here’s how some of the big records at Indian Wells stack up:
Most titles: Djokovic 5, Federer 5
Most finals: Federer 9
Most consecutive titles: Federer (2004–2006) and Djokovic (2014–2016), both with 3.
Most consecutive finals: Federer (two separate runs of 3), Djokovic (2014–2016)
Most matches played: Federer 79
Most matches won: Federer 66
Most consecutive matches won: Djokovic: 19
Most editions played: Federer 18.
Oldest champion: Federer (35 years, 7 months, 11 days in 2017)
So, while Federer still dominates the record books, Djokovic has a real chance to add another chapter to the rivalry and maybe take home another record for himself.
THE 3.3.26 DATE: UNEARTHING THE ROMANTIC DETAILS BEHIND ARYNA SABALENKA’S PROPOSAL IN CALIFORNIA
Aryna Sabalenka is engaged: Read about the 3.3.26 proposal to Georgios Frangulis and the reactions from Gauff, Alcaraz, and Djokovic.
Coco Gauff and Carlos Alcaraz are just a couple of the tennis stars who rushed to celebrate Aryna Sabalenka’s big news: she’s engaged to Georgios Frangulis.
Sabalenka dropped the announcement on social media right before kicking off her run at Indian Wells. As the world number one, she’ll jump straight into the second round, waiting to face either Alycia Parks or Himeno Sakatsume. But honestly, her focus seems split lately, and who can blame her? Off the court, she’s soaking up all the love and congratulations pouring in from fellow players.
She posted a video of the proposal on Instagram, adding a simple, sweet caption: “You & me, forever, 3.3.26.” Coco Gauff chimed in with a quick "Congratulations", and Alcaraz went all out with a stretched-out “Congratulatiooooons!” Ben Shelton and Amanda Anisimova also sent their best, and even Novak Djokovic shared some love. Sabalenka’s close friend Paula Badosa joined in, and skiing legend Lindsey Vonn couldn’t resist commenting either.
Now, with all the excitement swirling around her engagement, you have to wonder, can Sabalenka keep her head in the game at Indian Wells? Wedding plans are probably swirling in her mind, but if history tells us anything, it’s that Sabalenka knows how to lock in when it matters. Her serve is as deadly as ever, and she’s already put together an 11-1 win-loss record this season, with two finals under her belt.
She kicked things off with a title in Brisbane, then hit a snag in the Australian Open final against Elena Rybakina. No doubt, she’s itching to get back to her winning ways in California. The hard courts there play right into her strengths, and all four of her Grand Slam titles have come on this surface. Plus, she’s been a finalist at Indian Wells twice, so she’s got plenty of motivation to finally go all the way.
The field is stacked, so it won’t be easy. But honestly, if anyone’s primed for a breakthrough at Indian Wells, it’s Sabalenka.
