‘It flies off the strings!’ – Alex Corretja compares different tennis balls after controversy and complaints at US Open
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ByEurosport
Published 30/08/2022 at 16:26 GMT
When players such as Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa start talking about the differences in tennis balls it behoves the authorities and fans to listen and perhaps even take some action. Both players are just two of many who have expressed their disappointment for the balls that are being used in the US Open, and Eurosport’s Alex Corretja has investigated.
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Eurosport tennis expert Alex Corretja took to the practice court at the 2022 US Open to investigate complaints about the balls being used.
Male and female players are using different balls at the tournament and this has drawn the ire of a number of notable players on the women’s tour, including Iga Swiatek and Paula Badosa.
"We make more mistakes [with these balls], for sure,” Swiatek told the press after her 6-4 7-5 win over Sloane Stephens at the Cincinnati Masters recently. “So I don’t think that’s really nice to watch visually I don't know why they are different than men's ones.
"Fifteen years ago probably women had some elbow injuries because the balls were heavier and they changed them to women's balls. But right now we are so physically well prepared that I don’t think it would happen.
“I feel, it’s really hard to control them, but everybody has the same conditions, so we are trying to deal with that. I don’t get why they are different, honestly.”
At the US Open Eurosport tennis expert Corretja was sent to the practice court in order to check out the two different styles.
Corretja played some shots with both balls, as well as doing some different tests.
“While the men are using extra duty balls made to play for longer on harder surfaces, the women are playing with regular duty, made for clay and indoor surfaces,” explained Corretja.
“The extra duty balls, used by the men, are very easy to control. They don’t get too big too quickly. Wherever you feel like you are going to hit the ball, it [should] go there.
“The regular duties are much lighter; much more difficult to control. It flies off the strings of the racquet, and it must be very uncomfortable for the players.
“The men's balls are much bigger - they last longer - while the women’s ones are much thinner, meaning that they go much faster and favours players like Serena Williams, who hit so hard through the court. If you want to defend with these balls, it might not be easy, so you’ll have to move well.”
Corretja said he can totally understand where the complaints are coming from.
However the US Open have said that they have made the changes to the balls in order to help avoid injuries and it seems unlikely to change in the near future.
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