A tennis ball rule change trial that could have a big impact on the ATP Tour

The ATP Tour is trialling a rule change to when new tennis balls are introduced during matches, a shift from the long-standing system where balls are replaced after seven games and then every nine games thereafter. The change is part of broader efforts to address widespread player complaints about ball quality, which have been a persistent issue across both the men's and women's tours. The ATP has also been working to centralize ball distribution at tournaments, with a goal of standardizing balls across each tour swing by 2029.