Tennis bosses maintain talks over ‘killing our bodies’ plea after US Open accidents
The situation of the tennis balls at this 12 months’s US Open has come below fireplace in current days. Pospisil began a debate when he tweeted in regards to the ATP and WTA Tours making an attempt to decelerate the sport through the use of heavier balls. “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,” the previous world No 25 stated on Saturday.
Multiple retired professionals backed up his claims, saying they’d been left with long-term accidents in consequence. And Pospisil’s level was confirmed proper once more when Vondrousova struggled with an arm injury during her singles victory over Peyton Stearns, blaming the difficulty on the heavy balls and withdrawing from the doubles as a result. “It’s just from the balls. They are very heavy and the season is long, so I feel like, you know, you just, you know, you just have to fight through it,” the world No 9 stated.
It has now emerged that tennis bosses are already chatting with gamers about transferring away from the heavy obligation balls used on the US Open. “I think it’s being revisited right now because I believe the US Open puts in their order next year before the end of the tournament,” Pegula revealed on Monday.
The heavy obligation ball was solely introduced in for the ladies’s draw this 12 months. In 2022, a number of gamers spoke out when it emerged that the women and men had been utilizing completely different tennis balls on the US Open, with the earlier ladies’s balls truly being designed for clay surfaces.
But the brand new, heavier ball seems to be inflicting issues. And WTA Player Council member Pegula stated she had been talking with the match about switching again. The world No 3 continued: “So, like, last year when we decided to trial it, the decision was made I think during the second week. So we’re talking about that now.
“I believe clearly the gamers’ well being is crucial. That’s positively one thing we will have a look at. Yeah, it is arduous whenever you’re trialing and also you solely have a pair weeks. That’s not a number of time for individuals to adapt and get used to.”
Pegula also explained that she and her fellow Player Council members had been speaking with their colleagues to try and find a solution. “Yeah, it is one thing we will have to take a look at. Not simply us, however we have a look at everyone,” she said.
“I believe we did a survey for the entire tour. It’s not like we’re simply making that call. It’s primarily based off of what the gamers are leaning in the direction of. Player well being might be the principle precedence there.”
But it seems that Pegula’s wish for greater consistency in the tennis balls used across the whole 11-month tennis season could be a tough one to grant. She added: “I believe what we simply need is one thing extra constant. Hopefully we are able to get there. I do not know. Again, it is such an advanced, annoying matter. The period of time we spend speaking in regards to the balls is insane. But there’s so many parts.”