Francisco Cerundolo burst onto the scene in 2021 at the Argentina Open, making the final as a qualifier. Though he lost to fellow Argentinian Diego Schwartzman, he continued his run of improvement in 2022 by reaching two Masters 500 finals and the semifinals of the Masters 1000 in Miami.
Ranked outside the top 100 at that point, he ended up reaching a career-high of number twenty-four in the world in July and finished inside the top thirty, ensuring himself a seed at the Australian Open.
He hits the ball huge off the ground, especially on his forehand wing, often dictating points simply with powerful depth through the middle of the court.
Let’s take a look at what racquet the Argentinian phenom is using.
- Endorsed Racquet: Head Auxetic Prestige Pro
- Actual Racquet: Head PT57A2 Pro Stock
- Strings: Kirschbaum Max Power
Old School is New School
Painted like a Head Prestige, Francisco uses a racquet under the paint that was released almost thirty years ago, the PT57A.
Though it’s been around for quite some time, it’s still relevant at the pro level. Its control and feel have a legendary status among tennis gearheads and professional players alike.
Thomas Muster and Gustavo Kuerten used it to win Majors in the 90s, and it’s still going strong today with the likes of Andy Murray, Aslan Karatsev, and our featured player in today’s article Francisco Cerundolo (among others).
The racquet oozes control with its flexible layup and dense 18×20 string pattern. It’s lovely at providing precision for Francisco’s natural power game.
Specs
Cerundolo uses a racquet that both oozes control and has some enhancements for extra power. His racquet is extended to 27.5” and has the following strung specs:
- Strung mass: 350g
- Strung balance: 32 cm
- Strung swingweight: 380
Obviously, this is a huge swingweight. There is a lot of mass behind the ball, and it’s even further away from Francisco’s hand due to the extra length.
This gives him amazing command over the ball and power on tap when he wants it. The flexible, thin beam and dense string pattern combine with the 95 square inch head size to provide loads of control for Francisco’s powerful groundstrokes.
Strings
Thanks to a Youtube video, we learned that Francisco is using Kirschbaum Max Power as his strings. This poly is known for its dead response and massive control it provides, contrary to its naming.
This is a great fit for Francisco’s powerful game, and further enhances the control features of his racquet.
Conclusion
Francisco uses a racquet and string combo that provides him control, period. Sure, the extra length and huge swingweight give him power, but primarily they give him command over the ball.
He hits it big and needs precision to reign his natural power in. His racquet is well-suited for him, and as long as Head keeps making the PT57A, I’d imagine Francisco will keep using it and keep rising!
If you’re interested in other ATP players’ racquets, I listed all the top 100 players’ racquets in this post.