US Open 2022: Iga Swiatek has 'got to come to grips' with tournament's ball debate, say John McEnroe
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Updated 25/08/2022 at 10:47 GMT
Seven-time Grand Slam champion and Eurosport expert John McEnroe believes the players have to “accept” the situation about different balls being used at the US Open. The debate has flared up again after world No. 1 Iga Swiatek questioned why women use different balls to men during the North American swing, including at Flushing Meadows, which takes place from August 29 to September 11.
Swiatek says she feels like a 'kid from kindergarten' around Williams
Eurosport expert John McEnroe says Iga Swiatek and other players have “got to come to grips” with the ball situation at the US Open, amid a debate regarding different balls being used at the final Grand Slam of the year.
The US Open is the only Grand Slam where two different types of balls are used for the men’s and women’s tournaments, with the latter using lighter balls.
This could be a disadvantage to the harder-hitting players and Swiatek has called on equality in terms of the balls that should be used, urging the WTA and US Open organisers to change the “horrible” balls.
“Maybe that's just letting out some nerves,” said McEnroe, when asked about the ball situation.
“Maybe there's some truth to that, maybe the balls are a little bit lighter, maybe she doesn't like that.
“But whatever it is, she's got to come to grips with it because she's still obviously one of the favourites, or the favourite, even though she hasn't done well, she's still going to be No. 1 seed and people are going to expect you to do well.
“She's an incredible athlete and I believe that she'll figure it out and she'll win majors. I believe she'll win some on a faster hard court. I don't think that she's only going to win on clay.”
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Iga Swiatek
Image credit: Getty Images
In 2019, the North American swing saw the WTA tour use different balls at different tournaments. This year that has changed with the United States and Canadian events using the same balls as the US Open.
However, this is still inconsistent with the rest of the season where the women use the same balls as the men.
“I don't know how much different the balls are,” said McEnroe. “I always used to remember that at Wimbledon I always felt like the balls were heavy, I would have preferred lighter balls. But then I thought some of my best results are at Wimbledon. So you just accept it.
“You always have players saying the balls at the French Open are terrible, there’s something wrong with them, they are too heavy.
“The balls are too light at the US Open, you are always feeling the stress of wanting to do your best. And so you need ways to get rid of that stress in a way so she may feels like maybe they are a little lighter.
“I'm not 100% sure exactly what the ball is compared to the ball at the French Open or the balls in Europe, or the balls in Australia. So that's something that you have to accept. Maybe they'll change it, but until they do, you better accept it because if you let it get in your head then it's going to cause a problem.”
‘You have a big target on you’ – McEnroe on Swiatek’s season
Swiatek inherited the world No. 1 slot after Ash Barty retired from tennis in March and won the French Open.
The Pole was on a 37-match winning streak until she was beaten by Alize Cornet in the third round of Wimbledon.
McEnroe thinks Swiatek has done an “incredible” job of adjusting to the pressure that comes with being world No. 1.
“I think obviously her best surface is clay, I think that she's starting to be more and more effective and learning on the hard courts,” added McEnroe.
“I think that I remember, and I'm not going to compare me and Iga, but when you first get that No. 1 ranking, then the way the other players look at you is different.
“All of a sudden when you are No. 1, you have a big target on you. The players try harder, and it just feels like everyone looks at you more differently. That's an adjustment that she's had to have made and initially she did incredible - almost too well, she won 37 matches in a row – it was like she's never going to lose again!
“That build up culminated at Wimbledon, where she's not quite figured out how to play her best maybe on that surface and I think the pressure got to her.
“She's a human being, she's young, she's just coming into her own, she's done an incredible job. But I think that she's going to have to figure out a way along with her team to adapt to whatever situation is necessary.”
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