From the earliest days of organized lawn tennis, there was controversy over the ball used for the sport. One of the first orders of business when the USLTA was founded in 1881 was to agree on the precise ball specifications.
The need for that objective became apparent during the Staten Island “Grand Tournament” the previous year. While the singles tournament went off without a hitch, one of the doubles players complained that the balls used for the tournament were not “regulation weight.” James Dwight, who came in from Boston only for the doubles tennis, believed the balls were too light.
O.H. Woodhouse of England was eventually called in to settle the dispute. He indicated that perhaps the balls were a “trifle” lighter than those used at the All England Club and Marylebone but that he would not object. How could he? He had just won the singles tournament using those balls.
Dwight lodged a protest against the ball but went on to compete well in doubles anyway. However, he declined to play a singles match against O.H. Woodhouse that the spectators were clamoring for. The basis for his refusal was dissatisfaction with the balls.
The tradition of complaining about the balls is still a core part of the competitive tennis culture. In the professional ranks, there are several players actively airing issues about the balls that are currently used at the tour level. I recently played a league match where one of the lines refused to play with the balls supplied by the facility for the match.
At the end of the first day of the USTA’s Senior Women’s Intersectionals earlier this week, a spontaneous discussion between two teams erupted over the balls that are being used. There was an absolute consensus that the regular duty balls were inadequate. While no one protested or refused to play, it created some unusual playing conditions.
The Intersectional team tournament is being held at Phoenix this year on hard courts. The surface of the courts at the Phoenix Tennis Center is very coarse, which puts a lot of wear and tear on the balls. By the end of the first set of most matches this weekend, the printed label and most of the ball fuzz are gone. Those bald balls tend to sail in the dry desert air.
The USTA is currently reconsidering the long-standing policy that National Level events for women are only played with regular duty tennis balls. There is a very good chance that there will be a change in the immediate future. I am here for that.
However, as that potentially transpires, it is essential to remember that the tradition of complaining about the balls in tennis is as old as the sport itself. Some things will never change.
- Double Lawn Tennis, New York Times, September 7, 1880.
