Ons Jabeur suffered from shoulder trouble at the Cincinnati Open due to playing with heavier balls. When she inquired about the change to heavier balls, Ons brought up Iga Swiatek. Last year at the Cincinnati Masters Iga complained about a loss of control due to the use of lighter balls.
After Donna Vekic, her opponent, withdrew from the Cincinnati Open due to an injury, Jabeur advanced to the quarterfinals. The World No. 5 spoke about playing with the newly introduced balls after her victory. Jabeur emphasized her distaste for the much heavier balls, claiming that she believed they were inappropriate for indoor play.
“Here we also have HEAVY balls, but I feel like they are more like flying like bullets.
Tactically, you just have to PLAY FAST and move your opponent around, because it’s hard to come back and recover from all this sliding.”@iga_swiatek 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/O2gbwNcF48
— TRAVEL&Sp🎾rts (@travel__Sports) April 28, 2023
“Honestly, I don’t like them,” she said. Swiatek argued that male players used heavier balls at the US Open last year and opposed the use of lighter and quicker balls for female players. This year, the Cincinnati Open made the decision to use similar balls for both categories. During an interview, Ons wondered why Iga and other players demanded heavier balls as she was suffering from shoulder pain. “I hope Iga is happy. No, but they’re different, yeah. For sure they’re heavier,” Ons commented.
Some players have expressed their opposition to these heavier balls, particularly after using them for a few games. Jabeur senses the change, though she is unable to place it. However, she concluded by revealing how she isn’t one to complain and in fact, would play with anything, even if they are ‘rocks.’
Aryna Sabalenka responds to Ons Jabeur
The current No. 2 player in the world, Aryna Sabalenka, has admitted that she has no problem with the heavier balls. She revealed that Ohio’s weather conditions assisted her in handling the ball more than many other players, particularly Ons Jabeur, who struggled with heavy balls. She joyfully remarked that it has improved her game and she is generally comfortable with the heavier balls when asked about them.
“I think for my game, it’s helping me because my shots are getting, even more, heavier and even more tough to play against.” She continued to add how according to her if the player’s body is not strong enough they might suffer from injuries due to the heaviness of the balls. However, she remarked how she liked the added weight of the balls.
After defeating Jabeur, Sabalenka took time to explain how the heavier balls have been helping change the game. She explained how the surfaces between here and Montreal are just utterly different. She continued by telling how the ball bounces higher on the court of Cincinnati. Regardless, she concluded by saying how it is genuinely harder to adjust to the newer balls.
The winner of the Australian Open will face another strong opponent in the semifinals, Karolina Muchova. In their previous meeting, Aryna Sabalenka fell to the Czech player in the 2023 French Open semifinals.