New Zealand Wool Services trading manager Nathan Watt said it’s one of the more unusual uses of New Zealand wool, beamed into living rooms in nearly every continent.
He said it’s unfortunate there’s no branding for the country’s farmers, but he joked it’s nice to imagine a small Kiwi printed on each ball.
“TTI is the biggest tennis ball felt manufacturer in the world with a long history,” Watt said.
“They make 80% of the world’s superior tennis ball felt.”
He rattled off a list of the big brands TTI supplies, such as Wilson, Head, Penn and Slazenger.
Over the next fortnight, the US Open will go through roughly 100,000 Wilson balls.
To make each ball, the crossbred wool is blended with synthetic thread wrapped around a rubber core.
Wool predominantly off the back of the Romneys of 32 to 36 microns is the perfect tool in the fiercest of rallies.
Rosstan Mazey, chief executive of WoolWorks Ventures, said last year about 3000 tonnes of the country’s wool was exported for tennis ball felt.
His enthusiasm for the country’s woollen fibre is just as high when he’s hitting balls across the net at his local Karori United Club in the Wellington suburb.
“The New Zealand wool is very white and clean, and so when it comes to dying the felt fluorescent yellow and green, it works really well,” Mazey said.
“It doesn’t come up with any colour issues through that process.”
This year’s $5 million (NZ$8.4m) cheque for the men’s and women’s singles US Open champions represents a 39% hike from last year’s $3.6 million.
Players on a path to Grand Slam glory are defending champion Jannik Sinner, who remains in a late fitness race, and Spanish 2022 winner Carlos Alcaraz, who will also play in the mixed doubles alongside Britain’s Emma Raducanu.
In the women’s singles, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has not won a Grand Slam since last year’s US Open.
The American tennis superstar Coco Gauff showed the spirit of a warrior as she battled to beat Sabalenka at Roland Garros in June for the French Open trophy.
Poland’s Iga Swiatek comes into the New York tournament after winning the most recent Grand Slam on grass at Wimbledon.
Alongside the 190kph serves and grunts that reverberate across the stadium, the US Open is also known for its celebrity sightings.
The main draw runs for two weeks through to September 7, with night session matches played into the early hours of the morning.
And in the women’s doubles, Kiwi Erin Routliffe is at the top of her game.
She and Canadian partner Gaby Dabrowski won the 2023 US Open women’s doubles title.
In a profitable warm-up event, they won this week’s Cincinnati Open doubles crown.
- RNZ
