Wilson also says that the regular duty balls are developed for softer surfaces, like clay or indoor courts, compared to the extra duty ones, which are for hard courts and "abrasive" surfaces. When the US Open switched to a hard court surface in 1978, Wilson was a top choice and natural fit for this very reason. One of the few things that the vast majority of professional tennis players agree on is that constantly playing with different balls increases the risk of injuries. For the premium balls, and pretty much all of the balls that Tennis Warehouse sells, the core is formed from natural rubber that is derived from rubber trees and is often sourced from locations such as Thailand. The fast and consistent nature of the ball was perfect for my game, so I felt very confident in my shots and truly enjoyed playing in one of the loudest atmospheres in tennis.

Any decision to change or update what has been used in the past is made with the utmost thought and deliberation, after considering the recommendations of the tours and their player councils. I’m sure it’s going to be different based off how people hit the ball, people’s strokes,” the American said. To trace back the history of the US Open, it was initially held on grass courts until 1975, and then, till 1977 the tournament was conducted on clay and finally, in 1978 Flushing Meadows came up with the concept of hard courts. Instead of being filled with compressed air, pressureless balls have thicker walls on the core, which gives them a unique sound at impact.

The USTA works closely with the WTA and ATP Tour, their player councils and our brand partner on an annual basis to determine what type of balls they recommend," a USTA spokesperson said. The stark contrast between the two balls reflects the style of professional game the ATP wants to encourage. As two of the biggest hitters the sport has seen, both enjoy that the ball imbues their destructive, flat striking with even more pace. Wilson introduces the new, longer lasting US Open ball to its line, unveiling can packaging featuring bronze tones on the label.

I predominantly use these balls on hard courts but also play on carpet, artificial turf and sometimes, if I’m lucky, artificial or real clay.As with the natural wool felt, the natural rubber has the best resiliency, which results in longer playability and maintains that “pop” sound better over time. Earlier the subsidiary of Sumitomo group, Srixon were their suppliers and then they merged with Dunlop.