Carlos Alcaraz could be hindered by a rule that is unique to the US Open as the Spaniard seeks an eighth grand slam title at Flushing Meadows over the next fortnight.
Having spent the last four months sidelined by a wrist injury suffered at the Barcelona Open in April, Alcaraz is making his return to singles action at Flushing Meadows and came through his first-round match against Russia’s Roman Safiullin 6-4 6-4 6-4 earlier this week.
The seven-time grand slam champion next faces Portugal’s Jaime Faria in this evening’s session as he looks to move another step closer to a third US Open crown – having lifted the trophy in 2022 and last year.
Playing tennis at an elite level again after a wrist issue will always be fraught but Alcaraz arguably faces an even greater challenge this fortnight, given that the men’s events at Flushing Meadows use a heavier tennis ball than the women’s competitions in New York.
Speaking about the issue, Sky Sports pundit Tim Henman explained: “At Wimbledon they (the men and women) use the same ball. At the Australian Open, and all other tournaments they use the same ball.
“I think it’s somewhat unique to this event. For a while, the men and women did use the same ball here but I think it was a request from the WTA because the women used the extra-duty felt and they didn’t like it so much, so they went back to the normal ball.”
And Henman’s fellow pundit Naomi Broady believes the different ball could pose a problem for Alcaraz and others who have previously suffered wrist injuries in particular.
Broady said: “I think for me as well, it does intertwine with the conversation on the ATP Tour regarding the injuries and how many wrist injuries they have and should they be playing with a ball that is heavier? Would they be better off with a lighter ball?
“You’re then going to have shorter rallies because it’s harder to control, it’s going to move faster through the air, so there serves are going to be bigger, it’s going to be tougher to get returns and extend those longer rallies.
“But the way men’s tennis is going and how many injuries we’re seeing, I think it is a call from the players. Firstly to have a consistent ball used across the tour. There are so many variables. Not only are tennis courts changing week to week, but the ball is as well.
“So some weeks the ball is going to fly faster through the air, sometimes it’s slower and you feel like it’s not leaving your strings. I think the request from the men is to stop using the really heavy balls, not to say the US Open is necessarily one of them, but it’s certainly heavier than the women’s and I don’t think it helps the likes of Alcaraz and the guys who have had those injuries.”
