“We want the same balls that men use”. The tennis players’ rebellion takes place just days before the US Open, which starts on August 29. They no longer accept that the spheres supplied to the women’s sector are different, lighter. Behind the reasons for the protest there is not (only) a gender exception, but technical reasons, a direct consequence of the deterioration that affects its control.
Differentiation is certainly not new and was introduced not for reasons of ‘courtesy of the fairer sex’, but to speed up play, considered too slow and easy compared to the speed of exchanges in men’s competitions.
According to the objections expressed by the players, this technical resource can be considered outdated: both because the preparation has changed and improved, so much so that the physical and muscular structure of the women is no longer the same; and because due to the mounting material these balls tend to wear out sooner, becoming uncontrollable due to uneven or even damped rebound in the worst cases and increasing the error percentage.
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raise your voice is Iga Swiatekcurrent world number one, two-time main champion and with 9 WTA titles in his career: “Fifteen years ago, maybe women tended to suffer or suffer elbow injuries because the balls were heavier – he admitted to Espn -. But now things have changed because we have a better level of preparation than before and we can express a lot more power. “.
To give greater strength to her opinion, the Polish champion also cited a sensational contradiction: “On the label of the balls it says they are suitable for clay courts and indoor courts. While the ones adopted by men are made for prolonged play on hard courts. But we also play on hard courts… I honestly don’t like them, many players complain about it. “.
One of the most aggressive in this sense is the Spanish, Paula Badosa: “The American Grand Slam is the only major tournament to have a different allocation between men and women. That’s not good anymore.”
A strong and clear message also received by the leaders of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association), but, at least for now, no changes are expected. “Using the regular felt ball was preferred because it limited the risk of injury to the arm, shoulder, elbow and wrist – explained Amy Binder -. We will continue to discuss this issue with our athletes and our sports science team.”
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Source: Fan Page IT
Roy Brown is a renowned economist and author at The Nation View. He has a deep understanding of the global economy and its intricacies. He writes about a wide range of economic topics, including monetary policy, fiscal policy, international trade, and labor markets.