Tennis Balls: Buyer’s Guide + 12 Best Balls for Performance
/Tennis Balls
Buyer’s Guide + 12 Best Cans for Performance
We hope you love this article. Just so you know, TennisCompanion may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page to help keep this site running. Learn more.
On the surface, it may seem that all tennis balls are created equal, but look a little closer, and there’s more than meets the eye.
Beyond their complex manufacturing process, there are various types of tennis balls with different materials and construction designed to meet the ever-growing demand of players.
Five Point Friday: September 17, 2021
/September 17, 2021
Five Point Friday
Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.
1.) Golden Slams x2
Djokovic received plenty of well-deserved attention at the US Open for his attempt at winning a Grand Slam in 2021. However, behind the scenes, Dylan Alcott of Australia and Diede de Groot of the Netherlands completed a Golden Slam in wheelchair tennis. That is, they won every single major AND Olympic Gold this year, which is thoroughly impressive.
2.) US Open Viewership
According to ESPN, US Open prime time viewership was up 33% over 2020 and 13% for the entire two weeks of the event. Furthermore, the women’s final averaged 2.44 million viewers while the men’s averaged 2.05 million. It’s excellent to see the numbers were strong and the ladies pulling huge interest.
3.) Unique US Open Tradition
On Sunday, Andy Roddick highlighted a US Open tradition that I hadn’t seen before where players leave behind a pair of their shoes for the attendants of the players. I thought it was a fun way for players to show their appreciation.
Just one row of the shoes that have been left behind in the US Open locker room for the attendants from the players … One of the cool traditions that never gets talked about pic.twitter.com/Tf8GDbwCkn
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) September 12, 2021
4.) Emma Speaking Mandarin
Although it’s not surprising, considering her mother is Chinese, many fans were intrigued to learn Emma Raducanu is fluent in Mandarin. Following her US Open title, she posted a message to the tournament’s Weibo account and has now opened one herself.
@EmmaRaducanu is building her Chinese social media presence by launching an account on Weibo with a video message. Viewed over 1M times in 7 hours. Very fluent and expressive Mandarin, thanked the support from the fans, and wished to come to China to play in 2022. pic.twitter.com/AJvdXGORMz
— mad_joe (@madjoechina) September 16, 2021
5.) 53 Shot Rally
Mulling over various highlights from his years US Open, I had to stop and replay Djokovic and Zverev’s 53 shot semi-final rally. If you didn’t catch it, it’s worth a view.
53 shots.
A rally you’ll never forget. #USOpenpic.twitter.com/VGLeMSUrSK
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 11, 2021
If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.
Five Point Friday: September 10, 2021
/September 10, 2021
Five Point Friday
Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.
1.) Wilson Blade 98 v8 [Review]
Now in its eighth generation, the Wilson Blade is one of the game’s most popular tennis racquets that’s well known for its excellent feel, control, and comfort. In my latest video, I dive deep to provide an overview of the racquet, including noteworthy changes and how it performs on the court to help players decide if it’s a good fit.
2.) Emma & Leylah
For the first time since 1999, we’ll have a US Open women’s final with two teenagers. 18-year-old Emma Raducanu of Great Britain and Leylah Fernandez of Canada, who turned 19 on Monday, has captured the imagination of fans with an impressive display of tennis that’s both refreshing and incredibly entertaining. Instead of going on about how impressive these two ladies have been, I’ll simply encourage you to check out their highlights and tune in for their matchup this Saturday.
3.) Untold: Breaking Point
Untold is a Netflix docuseries that goes behind the scenes to tell compelling stories from the world of sports. Breaking Point is one of five episodes that chronicle the rise of Mardy Fish and his crippling struggle with anxiety.
4.) Social Media Abuse
Anyone who’s spent even a little time on social media has likely been exposed to the negativity that’s often overwhelmingly pervasive on these platforms. Late last week, after her third-round loss, Sloane Steven’s shared that she received 2,000+ abusive and negative messages. It’s unfortunate, to say the least, but posts like hers help raise awareness and encourage change. A spokesperson from Facebook, which owns Instagram, addressed the issue publicly.
Sloane Stephens opens up about the 2000+ abusive messages she received after yesterday #USOpen loss. (warning: the language is disgusting and disheartening to read) pic.twitter.com/oGHEbHPkjN
— Analis Bailey (@analisbailey) September 4, 2021
5.) Carlos Alcaraz’s Run
At only 18 years old, Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, who’s currently ranked No. 55, became the youngest man since 1963 to make the quarterfinals of the US Open. Perhaps his most memorable win came in the third round when he defeated world No. 3, Stefanos Tsitsipas, in five sets. Unfortunately, his run ended in the quarters due to a right adductor injury that forced him to retire in the second set.
If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.
Five Point Friday: September 3, 2021
/September 3, 2021
Five Point Friday
Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.
1.) Final Set [Movie]
Last week, I stumbled upon the movie trailer for Final Set, which appears to have debuted in the US this week. As of now, it appears you may be able to watch it via Film Movement for a fee. However, I also see a page for it on Netflix, so perhaps it will become available there at some point soon.
2.) CrossCourt Episodes
Tennis United has released the first two episodes of its CrossCourt series, where a player from the ATP and WTA sit down to discuss what is described as ‘largely untouched subjects.’ New videos will debut every Wednesday on YouTube, and you can learn more about the series and view the complete episode list here.
3.) Nishioka Between the Legs
During his first-round US Open match against Jack Sock, Yoshihito Nishioka fielded an impressive between the legs shot for a winner. Despite a strong start, Nishioka wasn’t able to overcome Sock, who won in four sets.
4.) Parks Ties Fastest Venus Serve
In 2007, Venus Williams clocked a 129 mph (211 kph) at the US Open; the third-fastest WTA serve on record. This week, 20-year-old wildcard Alycia Parks from Atlanta tied Venus’ record, which also happens to be the fastest women’s serve in US Open History.
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5.) Armstrong With Roof Gets Wet
Remnants from Hurricane Ida hit the North East last night, which prompted a flash-flood warning in New York during matches. Louis Armstrong Stadium has a retractable roof, but it’s naturally ventilated, so strong winds managed to blow rain into the court and suspend play between Kevin Anderson and Diego Schwartzman.
Update. Getting worse pic.twitter.com/ezVe9mSfep
— Darren Cahill (@darren_cahill) September 2, 2021
If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.
Wilson Blade 98 v8: In-Depth Review & Playtest
/Wilson Blade 98 v8
In-depth Review & Playtest
We hope you love this article. Just so you know, TennisCompanion may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page to help keep this site running. Learn more. Disclosure: Wilson gave me this frame to evaluate, but they did not pay me to write this review or influence its contents.
One of the game’s most popular tennis racquets, the Wilson Blade aims to deliver best-in-class feel, control, and comfort.
For 2021, Wilson releases the Blade’s eighth generation, which continues to offer excellent all-court performance with a stylish new cosmetic and subtle refinements to the racquet’s tech.