US Open accidents spark uproar as stars slam officers for ‘killing their our bodies’
The ATP and WTA excursions have come underneath hearth for “killing” tennis gamers’ our bodies. Vasek Pospisil claimed that tennis officers have been making an attempt to decelerate the sport with heavier tennis balls, injuring athletes within the course of. And two retired gamers revealed that that they had long-term points due to the balls they used.
The US Open has been with out some large names this 12 months as a few of the sport’s stars stay sidelined on account of damage. Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios have barely performed this 12 months whereas 2014 runner-up Kei Nishikori pulled out on the eve of the event.
On the ladies’s facet, 2021 champion Emma Raducanu remains to be recovering after having surgical procedure in May following a long-term wrist damage. And former world No 2 Paula Badosa shut down her season due to a stress fracture in her again.
The tennis tour are actually going through pushback from a number of present and former gamers who consider their selections are inflicting the bodily points. On Sunday, 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion Pospisil tweeted: “There were discussions a few years back that the ATP/WTA wanted to “slow the game down” to have longer factors for followers.
“The balls have been getting incrementally heavier and surprise surprise, it’s killing our bodies. Almost every player I’ve spoken to feels the same way. I’ve never seen more wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries in the locker room. If these changes to the ball don’t start getting reversed, it’s only going to get worse. Please start listening @atptour @wtatour. Player injuries are bad for you too.”
The Canadian’s colleagues have been flocking to share their settlement, as a number of gamers admitted that the heavier tennis balls gave them long-term damage issues. Former world No 6 Mardy Fish claimed the tennis balls had been a problem for years, leaving him struggling to play a easy sport of catch.
“This can’t be more spot on,” the retired American star stated. “I struggled with my arm every day because of the different weight of the balls week to week. Need 15 minutes to warm my arm up now just to play catch with my son.”
Noah Rubin – a junior Wimbledon champion who now runs Behind The Racquet – stated he was left “destroyed” by the toll the totally different tennis balls took on his arm. The 27-year-old added: “Such an underrated topic. Nothing worse than not knowing how the ball is going to feel week after week. Has destroyed my arm.”
While Pospisil misplaced within the qualifying occasion at this 12 months’s US Open and did not make the primary draw, the previous world No 25 is properly conscious of the problems he and his fellow gamers face. In 2020, he co-founded the Professional Tennis Players’ Association with Novak Djokovic.
And their requires lower-ranked colleagues to be given higher monetary safety have been lately answered by the ATP, who introduced a new minimum wage-style system for gamers on this planet’s high 250. With Pospisil now inflicting a stir over the heavy tennis balls, he will probably be hoping that the tennis excursions as soon as once more pay attention and take motion.