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Novak Djokovic Points to ‘Fluffier’ Balls as the Key Reason Behind Slowness in Wimbledon Matches

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 8:38 PM ET

Novak Djokovic has seen tennis evolve during his long and successful career. As a seven-time Wimbledon champion, he understands how much the game has changed, especially over the past decade.

He noted a clear shift in playing styles. Wimbledon, once known for quick serve-and-volley points, now features more baseline battles. The traditional attacking style is much less common today. Djokovic said in his post-match press conference at Wimbledon:

Honestly that’s probably the biggest difference I can notice compared to 10 or 15 years ago. The balls. The Slazenger balls that are used here at Wimbledon are good quality balls. But they do fluff up earlier or sooner than the ones we used 10 or 15 years ago. I don’t know if it’s related to the manufacturing facility production of the balls.. whether something in place changed there. I don’t think it’s the grass.

Djokovic has continued to adapt his game to these changes. His ability to evolve with the sport is a key reason for his sustained success at the top level.

Djokovic says the balls being used at Wimbledon the last 10 years are slowing down the speed of the game, ‘It’s allowing the players whose game is based on the baseline, who play with a lot of spin, to be able to make good performances’

“The quality of balls has been a big topic… pic.twitter.com/vpGQXHPcBr
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 3, 2025

As he moves into the next round of Wimbledon, Djokovic will again need to adjust. He faces fellow Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic on Saturday in what promises to be another test.

Novak Djokovic gets huge hope at Wimbledon

Sixth seed Novak Djokovic moved smoothly into the third round at Wimbledon with a straight-sets win over Britain’s Dan Evans. After a shaky second set in his opener against Alexandre Muller—due to a stomach issue—Djokovic showed no signs of weakness this time. He looked sharper and more in control from the first point.

His serve has become a major talking point, especially given how crucial it could be in battles against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. In the match against Muller, Djokovic won 82% of his first serve points and 61% on his second. Against Evans, those numbers were even better—he won 89% of his first-serve points and lost only five behind it.

Djokovic also piled up aces, hitting 22 against Muller and 11 more versus Evans. His serving accuracy helped him dominate, keeping opponents from gaining any rhythm. He mentioned how every shot felt solid and credited his serve for opening up the court and keeping pressure on Evans.

Looking ahead, Djokovic knows he’ll need to maintain that high serving standard to challenge for his eighth Wimbledon title. His serve was key to beating Alcaraz in Melbourne and nearly saw him through against Sinner in Paris. To take on the sport’s new elite, his reliable serve remains a vital weapon.

How Novak Djokovic advanced at Wimbledon

Serbian legend Novak Djokovic’s victory over Daniel Evans may have looked easy on paper, but the early moments were challenging. The Serbian struggled at the start, dropping the first nine points of the match.

However, once he found his rhythm, Djokovic quickly took control. He broke serve to go up 5-3 in the first set and then dominated the rest of the match with clinical shot-making.

Djokovic hit cleanly from both sides, constantly moving Evans around the court. His consistency and precision made it difficult for the Briton to build momentum. Evans tried to change tactics by coming to the net more often. But Djokovic’s sharp form gave him no openings, as the world No. 2 delivered some of his strongest tennis this year.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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