Equipment changes help grow the game

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, racquets became more responsive, balls became livelier, and there was a general trend toward tighter screen tension. All these changes facilitated learning the sport and increased enjoyment for the recreational player.

The average player could now sustain extended rallies and balls wouldn’t simply die on the screens. At the highest levels of the game, however, long points and tight screens pushed the physical threshold of players further than ever.