Iga Swiatek backed in US Open tournament balls row

US Open
Iga Swiatek in action

Former ATP Tour pro Alex Corretja has thrown his weight behind WTA World No 1 in the debate around the balls used by the US Open.

The US Open uses different balls for the men’s and women’s singles and Swiatek is no fan of the lighter ladies balls.

They are the only Grand Slam tournament to employ different balls for men and women.

Corretja believes that Swiatek’s gripe has merit.

“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,” Corretja said in a Eurosport discussion.

“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.

“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.”

Ash Barty’s former coach Craig Tyzzer once claimed that she would never win the US Open because of the balls they use.

Barty retired without ever going beyond the Round of 16 at Flushing Meadows.

A lack of control is the big complaint players have and while the lighter balls were first used to prevent injuries it has been argued that their use is no longer necessary.

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“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.

“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.

“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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The US Open gets underway on Monday 29 August 2022.

Iga Swiatek

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