Russian tennis player Andrey Rublev turned pro when he was 17, and while his original racket was a Wilson Six One 95 pro stock racket, he made the switch to a different style in 2021 after his contract with Wilson expired.
The Russian has ranked as high as 5th on the ATP and has had some substantial wins in his career. He also won a Gold Medal in the mixed doubles at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where he competed with Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
What racket does Andrey Rublev use? Andrey Rublev uses the HEAD Gravity Pro, and officially debuted the racket in 2021 after playing with a blacked-out version while he was still under contract with Wilson.
Why Was It Blacked Out?
Andrey Rublev isn’t the only player to ever play with a racket whose defining features have been covered up. It’s quite common on the tour, and even the best of the best like Roger Federer playing with non-branded rackets from time to time.
This is likely due to contract issues. As Andrey Rublev was still technically getting paid by Wilson, it’s understandable that they wouldn’t want him advertising another company in his games.
Additionally, if players are helping to design a racket that they’re not ready to completely debut, the company working on the design may have it blacked out so that the racket starts getting attention in line with their marketing campaign.
Andrey Rublev Racket Specs:
Rublev favors a light racket, since it favors his attacking style of play. His opening serves frequently top 125 miles per hour (200 kilometers per hour), although he does tend to struggle on his second serve.
While that style of playing has been relatively successful for him, a lighter racket does come with a trade-off of being unstable in the hoop. He can also consistently hit an accurate running forehand that his opponents struggle to return.
However, a weaker defensive and return game is a price that Andrey Rublev is willing to pay for the featherweight HEAD Gravity Pro, which is one of the lowest on the ATP tour. He also has a silicone wrap on the handle.
- Head Size: 100 square inches
- Length: 27 inches
- Weight (strung): ~ 358 grams vs 340 grams unstrung
- Balance: 9 pts HL
- String Pattern: 18 x 20
- Swing Weight: 335
With this combination, Andrey Rublev can play his game with the kind of control he likes. No doubt the switch took some getting used to, since his old racket had a 95-square-inch head size.
The additional five square inches no doubt had an impact on his game, but he can still pack a punch with his power forehand from the baseline and smash a two-handed backhand. Given the racket’s light weight, he can deliver these intense shots with relatively little risk to his arm.
HEAD says the racket offers “comfort, feel, and spin potential,” and Andrey Rublev uses all of those features to his advantage.
Even though he’s been using this racket for a few years, he officially debuted it at the 2022 Monte Carlo Masters. A few weeks later, Andrey Rublev defeated the No. 1 ranked Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Serbia Open using the HEAD Gravity Pro, which was no doubt a wonderful endorsement for the racket.
Can You Buy Andrey Rublev’s Racket?
The HEAD Gravity Pro is available to buy retail. If you’re looking to match Andrey Rublev’s racket setup exactly, you may have some trouble getting the exact silicone grip that he uses, but he uses a 4.5-inch grip which you can customize to your liking. Check out the HEAD Gravity Pro on Amazon here.