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What Tennis Racquets Do The Pros Use?

For this blog post, I will look at what some of the pro players are currently using. It’s always interesting to see what the top players in the world are using. If a world-class player uses a specific racquet, it has to be a good one right?

Disclaimer:  Although these are the racket models that the pro tennis players are using, they will undoubtedly have them customized in terms of adding weight to the frame, grip size, what strings they’re using, etc.

Roger Federer’s Racket –  Wilson Pro Staff RF 97

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Head Size97 square inches
Weight (unstrung)339g (11.98 ounces)
Length27 inches
Balance9 pts Head Light
Flex68
String Pattern16×19

Pros

  • Great control, stability and feel
  • Great for the all round tennis player
  • Works well especially for volleys and at the net
  • Very forgiving, if you’re a little off centre when you make contact. You can still get sufficient power.

Cons

  • It’s a heavy racket, which means unless you are well conditioned and in good shape, you will probably get tired quite quickly using it
  • If you like hitting with a lot of topspin, it’s a little trickier with this racket, and it will take some time to adjust.
  • Requires a bit more effort to generate kick on your second serve, due to the heavier weight.

Serena Williams’s Racket – Wilson Blade SW102

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Head Size102 square inches
Weight (unstrung)306g (10.8 ounces)
Length28 inches
Balance8 pts Head Light
Flex68
String Pattern18×19

Pros

  • Good amount of power and spin, from all areas of the court
  • Larger headsize for a larger sweetspot when hitting your shots, which makes the racket more forgiving.
  • A slightly longer reach due to the 28 inches which can help you in trickier situations.
  • Great racket to turn defense into attack quickly.

Cons

  • Control might be an issue for some players who are used to rackets with smaller head sizes. You might find it tricky to judge the length of some of your ground strokes.
  • A little cumbersome at the net
  • Not the best for feel and touch.

Rafael Nadal’s Racket – Babolat AeroPro Drive

Head Size100 square inches
Weight (unstrung)320g (11.3 ounces)
Length27 inches
Balance4 pts Head Light
Flex67
String Pattern16×19

Pros

  • Great power and spin on ground strokes, from all areas of the court, even in trickier situations.
  • Great power on serves.
  • Suits a baseline player more than an all round player (especially if you use a western grip on your forehand)

Cons

  • Trickier to get the right feel for delicate shots in and around the net
  • It’s a heavy racket (although lighter than Roger’s racket) so you have to be in good shape to use it effectively.

This racquet isn’t available on Amazon but you can get the Babolat Pure Aero 2019 which is very close in design to the AeroPro Drive, but a bit lighter.

Novak Djokovic’s Racket – Head Graphene 360 Speed Pro

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Head Size100 square inches
Weight (unstrung)310g (10.9 ounces)
Length27 inches
Balance6 pts Head Light
Flex62
String Pattern18×20

Pros

  • Easier to generate racket head speed
  • Slightly lighter than Rafa and Roger’s racket, so it’s easier to use for intermediate and advanced players.
  • Good control on all your shots, and sufficient power.
  • Good feel on your shots on ground strokes and at the net.

Cons

  • Doesn’t have much pop on serves, so you’ll likely need to be in good shape to add power.

Dominic Thiem’s Racket – Babolat Pure Strike 2019

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Head Size98 square inches
Weight (unstrung)305g (10.8 ounces)
Length27 inches
Balance7 pts Head Light
Flex65
String Pattern16×19

Pros

  • Lots of spin and power on groundstrokes, for powerful forehands and slice backhands
  • Good control on all sorts of shots.
  • Great for volleys and shots at the net
  • Easy to swing

Cons

  • None

Simona Halep’s Racket – Wilson Blade 98 16×19

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Head Size98 square inches
Weight (unstrung)304g (10.8 ounces)
Length27 inches
Balance5 pts Head Light
Flex61
String Pattern16×19

Pros

  • Countervail technology has been integrated into the frame to dampen shocks and reduce arm fatigue
  • Good powerful ground strokes with a forgiving sweetspot
  • Good control for volleys and at the net
  • Great if you like to slice a lot of your shots.

Cons

  • Harder to generate power on your serve
  • A bit harder for controlling depth of groundstrokes due to the larger sweetspot. You may need to shorten your swing.

Conclusion

To state the obvious, you can see how the rackets reflect the playing style of these players.

Roger Federer is an all-around tennis player and the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 is built for his game. That being said, it’s a heavy racket and you’ll need to have a strong upper body to use this effectively or you’ll be getting tired pretty quickly

Rafa’s racket is built for the baseline player, generating a lot of power and spin. But it’s also a bit heavy, and it wouldn’t be suitable at all for a serve and volley player.

Interestingly with Serena’s racket, the head size is quite big which is more forgiving and would suit most intermediate players. You just might find it a bit harder to control your shots.

Dominic Thiem’s racket seems to be one of the best overall to use for the average intermediate to advanced player. The Pure Strike is not too heavy, well balanced, and gives you good control on your shots with enough power.

If you already lack a bit of power on your serve, then the Wilson Blade 98 and Head Graphene might not be for you, but they could enhance other aspects of your game if you like to slice, hit powerful groundstrokes, and have good control over your shots.