US Open 2022: ‘It doesn’t make sense’ – Alex Corretja sides with Iga Swiatek on ball debate in New York

ByNigel Chiu

Updated 27/08/2022 at 10:05 GMT

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek is leading a call for men and women to use the same balls at the US Open, which Eurosport expert Alex Corretja agrees with. The final Grand Slam of the year in New York is the only Major which sees men and women use different balls which Swiatek and other plays feel should change. They have held discussions with the WTA over the topic.

Eurosport expert Alex Corretja says “it doesn’t make any sense” for women and men to use different balls at the US Open.

The US Open is the only Grand Slam where two different types of balls are used for the men’s and women’s tournaments, with the latter using lighter balls. This could be a disadvantage to the harder-hitting players.

Iga Swiatek explained women players had elbow injuries when using heavier balls which led to a change.

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But the world No. 1 now thinks women are fit enough to handle the same balls as the men and is one of several players who have called for a change.

“It's been like that for many, many years and maybe it's time to just to put it together, and especially if those balls that they using are not suitable to play on hard court,” said Corretja.

“Maybe before, they did it because they felt like it was an advantage for them to give them a little bit in like, let's say, an extra power.

“But now we can see that the players, the women, that they're hitting so hard, so they need to have a little bit more control. And I heard like the ball for them, it seems like it's flying because they're lighter or whatever, and they don't have that nice feeling.

Iga Swiatek

Image credit: Getty Images

“When you're a player, you need to have a feeling to play. So I think they should consider that maybe for next season, they should just play with the same ball because probably in these days where we are, it doesn't make any sense anymore to have different balls.”

Complaints about the balls were made by Ash Barty’s former coach Craig Tyzzer who claimed the Australian would never win the US Open due to the ball rules.

Barty’s best run at Flushing Meadows was the fourth round in 2018 and 2019.

Swiatek and other leading players have held discussions with the WTA about the balls which Corretja understands and would be in favour for change.

“It’s been like that [for a long time],” continued Corretja. “We never realised about that and now, if they did, it's because they [the women] are so powerful that they need to change that.

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“So I think for them, it won't be for the brand, it won't be for the [US] Open, it won't be any major problem to change. So I think they should consider that because right now the players, they hit so hard that it's so difficult to like to save the power and to control.

“So if you don't have control with your shots, it's very uncomfortable. So I think it might be time to change that. And to adjust that yes.”

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