Iga Swiatek exclaimed “Oh my God” with a smile during a press conference at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. A question had touched a nerve, and she debated for a split second whether to speak or remain silent. She chose to respond vigorously.
On the surface, the topic was unremarkable: whether she liked the Wilson US Open tennis balls. However, it was dense with subtext. The US Open is the only grand slam tournament where men’s and women’s players use distinct tennis balls. While men use Wilson’s US Open additional duty balls, ladies use Wilson’s US Open regular duty balls, which have a thinner and less fluffy felt cover, resulting in a faster, more aerodynamic ball and some players’ confusion.
Swiatek stated categorically, “Those balls are disgusting.” “Especially after three games of intense competition, they are becoming progressively lighter. You can’t even serve 170 kilometers per hour in the end since you know it would fly crazily. Indeed, I believe they are quite poor. Sorry.”
Swiatek noted, among a long list of problems with the balls, that they led to higher errors and a less impressive product: “Right now we play aggressively, and we can’t relax our hands with these balls. I am aware that several top-tier players protest. We make more mistakes, for sure. Therefore, I do not find that very enjoyable to observe.”
Swiatek turned to her audience as she left the press conference room and smiled sheepishly, “You’ve just started a war.”
Her concluding remarks were prophetic, as this has been one of the most discussed topics leading up to this year’s US Open, highlighting a perceived double standard between men’s and women’s tennis. A public debate was imminent. Craig Tyzzer, Ash Barty’s coach, stated in January that she could never win the US Open using these balls. In the same sentence, he mentioned the tournament’s recent unexpected outcomes four months after Emma Raducanu’s unexpected run to the championship. “It’s hardly surprising that the ball is the way it is,” he remarked.
During her week of practice in New York, world No. 4 Paula Badosa vented her displeasure by posting an Instagram snapshot of two distinct cans of tennis balls, the regular duty balls being marketed as “perfect for clay or indoor surfaces.” The US Open is played on hard courts outdoors.
Jessica Pegula, the No. 1 player in the United States, believes they produce more errors: “I feel like there are a lot of double faults in the first couple of weeks because the balls are flying a bit more,” she said.
The USTA will continue to follow the recommendations of the tours and player councils when determining which balls are used during the US Open, according to a statement from a USTA spokesperson.
Historically, the WTA’s suggestion of ordinary duty tennis balls has been predicated on the assumption that they place less strain on the arms. Swiatek observed that players complain largely to one another. Extremely divergent tastes present a formidable barrier to any sort of the change in an individual sport played by competitors with diverse game styles and backgrounds. Some as many players adore the balls as there are who dislike them.
Madison Keys smiled and declared, “It’s my favorite ball.” Keys remarked that she liked the steady speed of the balls. Petra Kvitova, who reached the final in Cincinnati, where the balls are also used, struck a similar note. “I adore it,” she exclaimed, praising their propensity to fly. As two of the sport’s heaviest hitters, they appreciate that the ball gives their devastating, flat-hitting additional velocity.
Several ATP players, including Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev, were unaware of the distinctions between the two balls, while others have used both. Taylor Fritz, the No. 1 ranked male tennis player in the United States, stated, “I can serve at 150 miles per hour with a girl’s ball.” They fly slightly better and are slightly lighter.
But Fritz had his distinct insight. He believes the US Open men’s balls are overly hefty. “The men’s Wilson balls are heavier than the ATP or Dunlop balls I use for the majority of the year. It does not feel nice on my arm, so I cannot fathom how the women’s players would feel.”
Pegula has no problem with the men’s balls: “I played with them at home or when I couldn’t find any balls,” she remarked with a shrug. They simply do not fly as frequently.
Fritz played mixed doubles in New York when he was younger, another challenging feature of the different balls. At the US Open, the mixed doubles competition uses the normal duty balls, so players who play both men’s and mixed doubles must switch balls during the same tournament. Constantly using different tennis balls increases the danger of injury, which is one of the few points on which the vast majority of elite tennis players agree.
Unanswered is whether this high-profile, public criticism will result in change. Pegula, a member of the WTA player council who now has it on her agenda, is a possible protagonist. “I’m not a huge fan myself. I see no reason why we cannot switch to extra duty. However, it is easier said than done, so maybe the player council will be able to work on this,” she stated.
