Stefanos Tsitsipas voiced strong frustration during his straight-sets defeat to Ignacio Buse at the Mallorca Championships. The Greek player halted play to protest the condition of the Dunlop balls, calling them unplayable. He ultimately lost 7-6 (4), 6-3 on June 23.
Tsitsipas stopped a rally at 2-1 in the first set while facing break point. He told the chair umpire the ball felt like softball and pressed it with his hands to demonstrate its softness. The point was awarded to Buse despite the complaint.
The loss marked Tsitsipas’s 14th defeat of the season. At No. 88 in the ATP rankings with 700 points, he now risks dropping outside the top 100. The 29-year-old has struggled with form for two years and recently parted ways with coach Goran Ivanisevic.
Players including Daniil Medvedev have previously criticized Dunlop balls for rapid deterioration. Tsitsipas’s exit came on grass, a surface where he has historically posted modest results compared with his clay-court achievements.