De Minaur and Fils Back Medvedev Blast Balls in Rotterdam

By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Photo credit: Shi Tang/Getty

Daniil Medvedev isn’t alone in his criticism of Rotterdam’s tennis balls lacking bounce.

Top-seeded Alex de Minaur and Frenchman Arthur Fils both blasted the Head ball as a dead ball and unacceptable after their clash on Tuesday.

Medvedev, who lost to Ugo Humbert on Monday, could be heard at point on court apparently branding the balls as “f–king horrible.”

De Minaur, who defeated Fils 7-6(3), 6-2, agreed with Medvedev’s disdain for the balls, but said it’s up to players to adapt.

“I have struggled a lot in practice. 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,” de Minaur told Nicholas Albek of Bolavip.com. “They are definitely not my favorite. I don’t think they are anyone’s favorite balls. They are very difficult to control.”

De Minaur, who is outfitted head-to-toe by Wilson, branded the Head balls as “a very dead ball” and said it gives a major advantage to bigger hitters.

“It is tough to explain it, but it is a very dead ball. It does suit the big hitters, the players that have a big revolution on the ball and are able to hit through that,” de Minaur told Nicholas Albek of Bolavip.com. “But again, it is what it is. The ball or the court is not going to change and my job is to adapt and do my best and continue doing that.”

Fils, who owns a massive forehand, said he was frustrated trying to finish points playing with a “really terrible” ball.

“They are terrible. Really terrible. The ball is very bad. It is unbelievable,” Fils told Nicholas Albek of Bolavip.com. “When we are playing at this level, literally playing professionally, very good players, then watching the balls after two games getting bigger and very slow, that is not normal.”

“I don’t know who is in charge of it, maybe ATP or whatever, but they have to do better, because it is not normal to play with these balls at our level.”