Taylor Fritz has revived his long-running complaint about tennis-ball consistency after his early exit from the US Open 2026, questioning the difference between the Wilson US Open balls used in competition and those available for practice. The American, who spent weeks playing with the tournament balls in Washington, Cincinnati and New York, said the balls he has used since returning home feel “like literal green-dot kids’ balls” and are forcing him to change the way he hits.
Fritz’s latest comments came after he was knocked out of the US Open 2026 in the third round by Francisco Cerundolo, despite taking the opening two sets.
The 29-year-old said he had become particularly familiar with the Wilson US Open balls after using them throughout the North American hard-court swing and during his preparations in New York.
“After playing Washington, Cincinnati, and the US Open, plus a full week of training in New York beforehand, I got a VERY good feel for the Wilson US Open balls we were using and know EXACTLY what they should feel like off my racket,” Fritz wrote.
He then returned home to find a very different experience.
Taylor Fritz frustrated by difference in practice balls
According to Fritz, the Wilson US Open balls he has been practising with feel “incredibly soft, dead, and going nowhere” compared with the tournament balls.
He said he had used balls from multiple cases to make sure the problem was not limited to one faulty batch, but found the same issue across them.
“The amount of effort I have to use to just produce a regular rally ball with these balls is insane,” Fritz wrote.
That difference, he believes, goes beyond being an inconvenience during practice. Fritz said he is having to swing far harder than he normally would, which could interfere with his technique.
“I’m having to throw my whole body into shots and swing out of my shoes just to produce a solid rally ball,” he said. “Beyond being frustrating, it feels like it’s creating bad habits.”
For Fritz, the bigger concern is that players need to be able to practise with balls that behave like the ones they will use in competition.
Massive tennis ball rant incoming.
After playing Washington, Cincinnati, and the US Open, plus a full week of training in New York beforehand, I got a VERY good feel for the Wilson US Open balls we were using and know EXACTLY what they should feel like off my racket. They were…
— Taylor Fritz (@Taylor_Fritz97) September 10, 2026
What Are Wilson Tennis Balls?
Wilson is a major sporting-goods brand and one of the official tennis-ball manufacturers used across professional tennis. At the US Open, players compete with tournament-specification Wilson balls, while practice sessions can involve separate balls. Fritz’s complaint is about the difference in feel between the balls he uses for practice and those used in matches, which he says can affect how he prepares for competition.
Fritz had already raised the issue in Washington
This is not the first time Fritz has spoken about the problem.
During the Washington tournament earlier this summer, where he won the title, the world no.10 made a similar point, questioning the value of preparing for an event when the practice balls can feel different from the tournament version.
“It happens a lot, and it’s frustrating,” Fritz said at the time. “What’s the point of practising for a tournament? Like last week, I’m getting ready to come here: what’s the point of practising if the ball that I’m practising with is going to be completely different to the one here?”
Fritz said the inconsistency had become noticeable with both Wilson and Dunlop balls over the past year and a half. He recalled that it did not used to be such a problem, with any small differences generally explainable by court conditions.
Now, however, he feels the difference is large enough to affect how players construct points and approach shots.
“It’s disappointing that this has started to feel normal,” Fritz wrote in his latest post. “Training is a lot less enjoyable, and a lot less productive, when you’re spending it practicing with balls that are so different from what you’ll use when it matters.”
There was one consolation. “The only positive I can take out of playing with these balls the last couple days is that it takes such more extra effort in every shot I hit at least it has been good cardio consistently having to swing so hard all the time,” Fritz joked.
This is not an excuse for US Open 2026 loss
And for those who might take his ‘rants’ as a part of frustration over the loss at US Open 2026, and excuse, Frtiz wants to say, “please seek help. I’m sorry to tell you that you are in fact illiterate. As I said before I really liked the tournament balls and this rant is me wishing I also had them when I come home to train after the tournament.”
