Tennis: US Open To Implement Major Change Stirring Fans With The Decision

The US Open has not yet announced any plans of postponing the tournament and is set to push through with the original schedule. The annual hard-court Major is still set to happen from August to September. This year’s US Open has been a subject of concern for several reasons. With the threat of the coronavirus, all events have been canceled as a precautionary response for everyone’s health and safety.

This has caused the postponement of the French Open to September, only a week’s difference from the US Open. Players are then forced to adjust with a crammed schedule that only entails one week of rest. World Number 2 Rafael Nadal will still defend his Grand Slam despite playing a back-to-back.

But despite all of these, the US Open is still set to push through with a major change. For the first time in forty years, the tournament is set to change the surface of the court. The New York Grand Slam will be using Layold instead of the DecoTurf. The US Tennis Association announced that they have a five-year agreement to use the brand made of Advanced Polymer Technology.

Per Tennis.com, the surface is used for tournaments such as the Miami Open, New York Open and Fed Cup Matches.

The brand change will feature a slower surface than what is accustomed before. Hard courts are usually known for the speed of the game compared to clay. The ball is faster and the pacing is different compared to other tournaments. In the highest level of competition, these changes can impact one’s performance on the floor.

The surface change has caused fans to question the decision of the Major to make such a move. Fans are up in arms in social media with how the slower surface will lead to a similar pace of clay-court matches – lacking the variety that sets the four majors apart from one another. The hard court tournaments are for the fast-paced balls and this decision might slow down the speed the game is played.