Coco Gauff gives her verdict on the tennis balls at the Cincinnati Open after Jannik Sinner’s comments on them

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Coco Gauff is making steady progress at the WTA 2025 Cincinnati Open.

Since Gauff claimed the French Open title, she has won just four matches, none of which came during the grass court season.

But America’s top-ranked player is now on home soil and she is striving to build momentum ahead of the US Open.

Gauff has won the Cincinnati Open in the past and she is now three victories away from replicating that feat this season.

Coco Gauff says the balls in use at the Cincinnati Open are ‘super light’

The Cincinnati Open has a new look this year following renovations worth $260 million.

The venue has now been transformed into a complex with more modern and expanded facilities such as more courts and a larger player clubhouse.

Players have shared positive reviews about the new facilities at the Cincinnati Open, but the tournament balls has sparked conversation among the competitors.

Now Coco Gauff has shared her views, claiming she found them difficult to control. “I think for the most part I played aggressive,” Gauff said on court after beating Lucia Bronzetti.

“Maybe I got a little bit passive in some of those games but it’s tough. The balls are super light and they fly and she wasn’t really giving me much pace.

“So I was trying to play controlled but also aggressive which for the most part I think I did well. I had chances in a couple of those games and I missed a couple of balls but I learned from it and was able to close it out.”

Jannik Sinner says there is something ‘strange’ about the balls at the Cincinnati Open

Another player who commented on the Cincinnati Open’s tennis balls is Jannik Sinner.

The ATP’s world number one has also reached the quarter-finals in Ohio, where he is the defending champion.

Like Gauff, the Italian is happy with the new facilities at the Cincinnati Open, but Sinner identified something about the balls in use, where he finds perplexing.

“From my point of view, the tennis balls are getting smaller,” Sinner told Tennis TV. “The more you play, the smaller they get. That is very strange because usually they open up and get slower, but here they get actually faster.

“The ball bounces much higher. We haven’t had one very windy day yet, but it’s going to be very difficult if there’s going to be wind here.

“We saw it last year, remember the match against Andrey was super difficult, so it’s very difficult and it’s going to be a mental game. I am trying [to] accept every situation on the court and trying to be ready.”