Tennis - U.S. Open - Flushing Meadows, New York, United States - September 5, 2026 Taylor Fritz of the U.S. reacts during his third-round match against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo.
While the United States is guaranteed to a finalist in the men’s draw of the 2026 U.S. Open, one person who won’t be there is 2024 finalist Taylor Fritz.
Fritz, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, was eliminated in the third round by Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo after blowing a two-set lead to open the match.
After his elimination, Fritz took to social media to air his frustration with Wilson, the tennis ball provider for the event that makes specially crafted balls to stand up to the hard court surface.
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
According to Wilson, the balls they used for the tournament, as well as the U.S. hard court season leading up the U.S. Open, are the same balls they sold online and on shelves for practice.
But Fritz is certain that’s not the case.
Taylor Fritz Says Wilson Is Lying About Its Tennis Balls
Fritz began his post on social media by insisting that he had no issue with the actual makeup of the balls used during the U.S. Open.
“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,” he wrote. “They were good balls, and I have no complaints about what we played with at those tournaments this summer.”
However, he does have a problem with the lack of consistency when it comes to the manufacturing of the balls. Especially considering the fact that Wilson insists that they’re all the same.
“But since coming home, my last two days of practice with Wilson US Open balls have been miserable,” he continued. “They are sold, marketed, and labeled as the same balls, but the way they come off my racket and feel couldn’t be more different.
“After that many weeks using the tournament balls, I know exactly how they respond. The balls I’m practicing with feel like literal green-dot kids’ balls: incredibly soft, dead, and going nowhere. I’m playing on a court with a similar speed to the courts at the Open as well just to be clear. I’ve tried balls from multiple cases to rule out a bad batch, and unfortunately, it’s been the same across the board. Other players I’ve spoken to since the Open have described the same thing.”
Is Wilson Scamming Tennis Players By Selling Other Balls?
Fritz claims that this hasn’t always been the case. In the past, the balls that he used for practice felt exactly like the ones that he was using in tournaments.
So, what gives?
“…We need to be able to train with the same balls we compete with, and in the past I feel like this wasn’t usually an issue. It didn’t used to feel this way. There was consistency, and any small differences could usually be explained by the court or conditions,” he wrote.
But the issues isn’t exclusive to Wilson!
“Over the last year and a half, though, I’ve noticed such a significant difference between retail balls from both Wilson and (Austrailian Open ball supplier) Dunlop and their tournament equivalents, which are supposed to be identical, that it completely changes how you want to construct points and take risks on shots and just play points in general. I’m not exaggerating it really is making that big of a difference at the pro level.“
Fritz later reaffirmed that he didn’t blame the difference for his loss at the U.S. Open.
Also anyone that is trying to tie this into my loss or say I’m making an excuse for any loss, 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…
— Taylor Fritz (@Taylor_Fritz97) September 10, 2026
However, if he’s correct, and Wilson is selling and marketing balls as the U.S. Open official while actually offering a different product, they may have a bit of a problem on their hands.