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Former coach of Venus Williams highlights problem in tennis that is finally being addressed
TL;DR
Concerns about court speed in tennis are gaining attention, with former coach of Venus Williams highlighting the issue. The debate intensified in 2025 after Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev raised concerns about the impact of court surfaces on player performance.
Key points
- Concerns about court speed are rising in tennis.
- Roger Federer suggested faster courts would benefit men's tennis.
- Alexander Zverev accused the ATP of slowing courts to favor certain players.
Photo by Fiona Goodall/Getty Images
The issue of court speed has been simmering for some time now, with complaints growing over how surfaces are being altered at ATP Tour events.
The discussion really took off in 2025 when Roger Federer spoke out, suggesting that faster courts would benefit the menās tour.
Alexander Zverev then added fuel to the fire by suggesting that the ATP was slowing courts deliberately to favour Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
This was particularly noticeable at the Shanghai and Paris Masters, where both events opted for noticeably slower surfaces compared to previous years.
More recently, David Witt, who once coached Venus Williams, has brought attention back to the issue while also highlighting changes in the type of balls being used across both tours.
David Witt offers his thoughts on ball changes and playing conditions
Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP via Getty Images
During an appearance on Inside-In, Witt said, āThe biggest thing now is that they are changing the balls. Every week, it seems that the balls are fluffing up or not fluffing up, or flying through the air too much. They are too light.
āThat is a big thing that I think they are doing a better job of having blocks throughout the year where they are playing with the same ball for x amount of tournaments, or a couple of months and then switching.
āAnd the court speed. I mean, the court speed, when you have a ball that is fluffing up and then the court looks like sandpaper. I donāt know why you would do the combination.
āItās like a clay court, Iām sure the players that love playing on slow clay probably love that.
āBut, at the same time, you want it to be fair and if you hit a good shot you want to be rewarded for it. You canāt hit a winner, the balls are so fluffed up and the courts are so slow.ā
How Masters 1000 court speeds have shifted in 2026
Data from courtspeed.com shows that since 2017, most ATP Masters 1000 events have generally seen their surfaces play quicker, with Paris and Shanghai standing as exceptions.
Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Canada and Cincinnati all saw increases in their court pace index (CPI) in 2025 compared to eight years prior.
This year has brought a slight reversal of that trend at the top tier outside of the Grand Slams. Two of the first three Masters events have seen slower conditions compared to last season.
Indian Wells increased significantly from 30.9 to 39 CPI, while both Monte-Carlo (29 to 26.7) and Miami (40.7 to 40) experienced modest drops.
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Q&A
What did Roger Federer say about court speed in tennis?
Roger Federer suggested that faster courts would benefit the menās tour, sparking a larger discussion on the issue.
Why are players concerned about the speed of tennis courts?
Players like Alexander Zverev believe that the ATP is intentionally slowing down courts to favor specific players, such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
When did the discussion about court speed in tennis gain momentum?
The discussion gained significant momentum in 2025 when prominent players began voicing their concerns about altered court surfaces at ATP Tour events.
