Emma Raducanu’s coach, Mark Petchey, has blamed heavy balls for Emma Raducanu’s poor performances after her exit from the French Open.
Raducanu suffered a disappointing 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Iga Swiatek in the second round on Wednesday.
It has been a disappointing season for Raducanu, who has won just one of her nine career matches against top-five players.
Petchey has opened up on the reasons behind her struggle, blaming heavy balls for her poor form.
He said, “From my point of view, it’s tough on Emma, as I still feel everyone is living in 2021. The games have changed massively.
“If you can’t put the ball through the court on a windy, heavy clay court day against someone like Iga, you’re going to get into all sorts of trouble.
“Since I started helping Emma, I said she needs to start closing the gap between the best players.
“She doesn’t need me to sit between 20 and 50 in the world, and, if I’m not the best choice, she needs to find the best choice.
“My mantra to her has been that you are starting your career now. Everyone is judging you on what happened in 2021, but the reality is I want to see you building a career here where people judge you in two years.”
In recent years, the likes of Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios have complained about heavier and slower tennis balls.
Dunlop is the official ball of the ATP Tour in a deal running until 2028.
Fluffy balls, which get increasingly heavy and slow, have become popular among the organisers to encourage longer rallies but many players believe they cause more frequent injuries.
Under the same rules, the maximum change in mass allowed during play is 0.4g.
The balls must also pass a number of other tests, including size, deformation – how they change shape during a match – bounce and durability.
The current acceptable range for ball diameter is 6.54cm to 6.86cm for a Type 2 ball. This specification last changed in 1966.
Raducanu was the 2021 US Open champion and the first British woman to win a singles major since Virginia Wade at the 1977 Wimbledon Championships.
She became the first qualifier in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title, beating Leylah Fernandez in the final and without dropping a set during the tournament.
