Key Takeaways
- Taylor Fritz shared that training with practice balls vastly different from tournament balls demotivates him, stating, “it just really frustrates me cuz it really demotivates me a lot when I’m trying to like just get better in practice.”
- The American revealed he had to special order Yonex tournament balls from abroad to properly prepare for Tokyo and Shanghai prior to the Laver Cup.
- Rejecting claims of slowing surfaces, Fritz stated, “I don’t think the courts are getting slower. I think it’s the courts are the same speed as they’ve always been. I just think the balls are slower.”
Training difficulties and equipment inconsistencies
Taylor Fritz has voiced deep frustration regarding the ongoing issues with tennis balls on the professional tour, explaining that the inability to train with tournament-spec equipment hampers player development between events. Speaking on the Big T Podcast, the American star highlighted the distinct contrast between competition conditions and what players encounter on practice courts.
Addressing the broader inconsistency across events that utilize products from 6 to 8 different companies, Fritz noted that adapting to regular changes is part of the job, but practicing with balls that do not match tournament play is a major hurdle. “It just really frustrates me cuz it really demotivates me a lot when I’m trying to like just get better in practice cuz like what’s the point the second I go to the tournament,” Fritz explained. “I can be serious and motivated about the fitness aspect of it. But I know that like I can’t get excited about how I’m hitting the ball because the second I go to another tournament we change the ball and now it’s like I have to relearn how it’s going to feel off my racket.”
The stark contrast after the US Open
Fritz detailed how jarring the transition felt after competing in New York. Returning home to practice at USTA Carson using standard cases, the difference was immediately apparent. “I was just like mind-blown coming from the open back home to using the case just that we had just at USTA Carson,” Fritz said. “I know like exactly how that feels off my strings. It just I was really excited. I was building. I felt like I was building off of a lot of the good things I was doing at the open.”
Instead of building momentum, the adjustment disrupted his rhythm entirely. “I was very frustrated when I just started hitting and it just felt like I couldn’t hit the ball. I had to completely change the way I was hitting the ball to just like have a normal practice,” Fritz stated. He also observed similar issues with other brands, pointing out that “the Dunlop balls that you get from the store are just they’re so insanely dead. They’re just they’re nothing like the balls we’re playing with in matches.”
Special orders and the debate over court speeds
Preparing for upcoming Asian swing events presented another logistical hurdle. After losing at the US Open, Fritz had to search for the Yonex balls utilized in Tokyo and Shanghai, which were unavailable in the United States and required a special order. He received them just in time to practice for a full week ahead of departing for the Laver Cup.
Fritz clarified that his remarks are targeted strictly at the elite professional level rather than recreational tennis, noting that softer store-bought balls may even benefit amateur players. However, on tour, the deadness of modern balls has prompted thoughts of modifying his setup. Playing with an 18×20 string pattern, Fritz admitted that generating pace against lifeless balls can be grueling, leading him at times to contemplate switching to a 16×19 pattern.
The American also offered his perspective on the long-standing debate about tournament surfaces slowing down over time. “I’m so on the board with like, you know, people say the courts are getting slower. I don’t think the courts are getting slower,” Fritz concluded. “I think it’s the courts are the same speed as they’ve always been. I just think the balls are slower.”
Taylor Fritz in 2026
Ranked no.10, Fritz played his last match on the 5th of September when he lost to world no.22 Francisco Cerundolo 3-6 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4 in the 3rd round of the U.S. Open (draw).
This season the American achieved a 33-16 match record. Taylor conquered 1 title in Washington.
