New Balls… Please!

This year for the first time since 1980, the US Open will use the same tennis ball for both the men’s and women’s events at the tournament. This change followed complaints in 2022 by Iga Swiatek and several other players who expressed a preference for the thicker felt of the extra duty balls. As is so often the case in tennis, there is the story and then… there is the real story.

One of the unanticipated side effects of writing this blog is the discovery of things I did not previously know about tennis. In fact, within the first three weeks of launching this site, an archived New York Times article I came across when researching tennis ball construction first clued me into the disparity.

The United States Open and other American hardcourt tournaments use regular felt balls instead of extra duty for women’s matches because they produce a faster style of play.

Which Tennis Ball is in Use? It Makes a Difference,” New York Times

There are microinequities wrapped up in that statement. First is the implication that women’s tennis is slow and needs to speed things up. Additionally, it implies a desire to minimize court time expended for women’s matches. The original decision to use regular duty balls for the women may have been well-intentioned, but it smacks of unnecessary gender differentiation if a “faster style of play” was the primary reason.

When the player complaints about the regular duty balls surfaced last year, the US Open responded by saying that the decision on which tennis ball to use was made in close coordination with the WTA tour and players. The “brand partner” also has a say.

“The USTA works closely with the WTA and ATP Tour, their player councils and our brand partner on an annual basis to determine what type of balls they recommend playing with for the coming US Open.”

USTA says decisions on tennis balls used for US Open made in consultation with tours, player councils, ESPN

I didn’t touch on this topic last year during the controversy. However, in 2021 I chronicled my own journey of discovery into how the US Open came to use regular duty balls for the women in the first place. “A Heavy-Duty Story About Tennis Balls” delved into how all players complained about the introduction of “heavy duty” balls in 1980.

The US Open reverted back to “regular duty” balls for women in 1981. In essence, Billie Jean King asked for regular duty balls, and the USTA complied. The women have continued to play with regular duty balls ever since until this year. In fact, 1981 seems to be when the term “regular duty” was coined. A differentiator was not needed until Wilson started marketing the “heavy duty” balls.

The men, who also complained mightily about the heavy duty balls when they were introduced, got over it and stayed with the thicker felted ball. Perhaps Wilson’s rebranding from heavy duty to extra duty helped with player perception.

In 2019, a Wall Street Journal article claimed that the use of regular duty balls was codified into the WTA Rulebook. It wasn’t at that time, and there is no evidence to suggest it ever was. I don’t think the writer came to the idea independently, however. The organizers of the US Open have consistently deflected questions about the balls by implying that the WTA made the decision.

In fact, recent statements by the WTA support the narrative that the tour has a voice in the balls that are used. Despite that, the practice of using regular duty balls on hard courts seems to be isolated to professional tournaments in the United States.

I suspect that the USTA and the US Open have fallen victim to the marketing prowess of Wilson. The ball manufacturer appears to be the source of the idea that regular duty balls are better for women. Almost everyone else in the universe recommends extra duty balls for hard court play and reserve regular duty balls for softer surfaces. It is telling that in addition to the WTA tour and the players, the “brand partner” of the US Open is listed as a key stakeholder in the decision on which ball to use.

Regardless of the origin, the USTA has embraced and internalized the idea that regular duty balls are better for women’s play well beyond the US Open. In “Even More Separate (But Unequal) Balls,” I wrote about how the USTA uses regular duty for women’s divisions at all National-level tournaments. That practice is also extended to USTA League as documented in “USTA Nationals Takes a Lot of Balls.”

Men and women should play hard court tennis using extra duty balls. Regular duty balls are more appropriate for clay and grass courts.

The US Open’s decision to play all events with extra duty balls this year is a step in the right direction. However, the USTA shouldn’t stop there. It is high time for a new ball policy that extends to Junior and Adult amateur play. The balls should be matched to the surface rather than the gender of the player.

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1. “Which Tennis Ball is in Use? It Makes a Difference“, New York Times, Stuart Miller, September 3, 2016.
2. US Open to use same tennis balls for women and men, D’Arcy Maine, ESPN, August 17, 2023.
3. USTA says decisions on tennis balls used for US Open made in consultation with tours, player councils, D’Arcy Maine, ESPN, August 24, 2022.
4. At U.S. Open, Do Women Play With Faster Tennis Balls?, Jo Craven McGinty, Wall Street Journal, August 16, 2019.