Novak Djokovic says tennis balls have changed after COVID: No doubt about it

Novak Djokovic said tennis balls have changed since COVID-19, and he reiterated that claim during Wimbledon after reaching the round of 16. The 39-year-old Serbian won three matches at the All England Club, starting with a five-set victory over Wu Yibing, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, after more than three hours. He then beat Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and overcame Arthur Rinderknech in a fourth-set tiebreak, 7-5, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4). With that win, Djokovic equaled Roger Federer’s Wimbledon record of 105 grass-court match wins. Today on Centre Court, he plays Roman Safiullin, seeking a spot on the all-time Wimbledon titles list. Djokovic attributed the change to material and manufacturing shifts in China and said the balls are slower, affecting slice behavior, though he argued grass still keeps certain shots effective.