A chorus of top professional tennis players has voiced concerns about the quality and consistency of tennis balls, a persistent issue that has intensified in recent years. Many veterans, including Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams, point to changes that have occurred around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to unpredictable performance on court.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam singles champion, has noted "quite a few conversations" among players and coaches about the balls. "There was a change, no doubt," he stated. "Some material — something — has changed that has affected the way the ball reacts nowadays."

Venus Williams, who has competed professionally since 1994, acknowledged a decline in ball quality. "There’s a lot of balls that have lost quality — even I can see that," she said. "So there has been a change."

Jessica Pegula, a member of the WTA Player Council, described the ball quality discussions as constant. "We’ve talked a lot about these fricking tennis balls," she commented. "Like, until the cows come home. Oh, my gosh."

Players report that the balls have become inconsistent, with felt that either fluffs up or thins out too quickly. Some balls reportedly require overexertion to generate power, while others can be propelled too far with minimal force. Pegula observed that the main issue since the pandemic has been the balls' durability. "They just don’t last," she said. "They get chewed up. They either get really super fluffy or they get really thin. They just don’t last. They don’t play the same way as when you start."

Ball Variations and Manufacturing

Taylor Fritz, the 2024 US Open runner-up, has become more attuned to subtle differences in ball composition over his career. "Some brands stay more consistent; some brands, they say it’s the same ball, but from week to week, even though it’s labeled the same, it feels really different," Fritz said. "It’s tough to really pinpoint it."

The professional tour utilizes balls from eight different companies annually, leading to frequent changes in manufacturers and models as players travel globally. Alejandro Tabilo, a Chilean player, noted the difficulty in adapting to different ball types used in various tournaments.

Pegula also highlighted that variations in ball quality can be traced to different factories and countries of manufacture. "Tournaments get the same ball, but it’s from a different place that makes them, so it feels different," she explained.

Players also encounter inconsistencies when sourcing balls for practice. Ben Shelton, a top American man, shared that balls purchased off the shelf might not match the quality used in professional tournaments, with some exhibiting less-than-ideal performance. Fritz has even attributed an oblique injury to overexerting himself while trying to hit with a batch of unresponsive balls during training.

Fritz specifically contrasted store-bought Dunlop ATP balls and Wilson US Open balls with those used on tour, stating they are "absolutely nothing even close to what we’re playing with on tour." He noted that balls with a paper top to the can are not the same as those used in competition, regardless of labeling.

Industry Perspectives

Eric Babolat, CEO of tennis manufacturer Babolat, suggested that a shift in manufacturing standards may be contributing to the issue. He indicated that European manufacturing traditionally used more wool, resulting in a ball that maintained its structure longer, whereas American standards favored more synthetic materials, leading to quicker fluffing. Babolat believes more manufacturers are adopting the American standard.

"The European standard was more dominating the pro tour; now, it’s more the [American] one," he said. "From an industrial perspective, I think it’s this balance which is changing."

Babolat views these variations not as a problem, but as an additional variable for top players to adapt to. "It’s like the weather: you need to adapt," he stated. "That’s part of the game. The ones that don’t like it are the ones who don’t win, usually."

While some players, like Shelton, are trying to focus on adapting rather than dwelling on ball quality, others express frustration. Fritz commented, "It happens a lot, and it’s frustrating. What’s the point of practicing for a tournament? ... It didn’t used to always be like that."

Despite player complaints, some tournaments stand by their ball choices. Brendan McIntyre, head of US Open communications, affirmed the tournament's confidence in their Wilson balls, stating, "We believe that the performance of their ball is unmatched and have no concerns about quality control at the US Open."

Most ball manufacturers, including Dunlop and Wilson, have declined to comment on the issue.