We have another blacked-out racquet on the ATP Tour. But what is Karen Khachanov’s new racquet?
Karen Khachanov has racked up a few wins in Halle using a racquet that is distinctly different from his standard Wilson Blade Pro (H22). It looks a bit like a Babolat Pure Aero 98, but it has the Wilson endcap. So, most likely a prototype. It is strung with his standard setup of Luxilon Alu Power 1.25.
It will be interesting to see if we can spot more players with this racquet in the near future.
The modern racquet
The aerodynamic throat is becoming increasingly popular on tour. With the rise of the Pure Aero 98, which is now used by so many players on the ATP Tour like Alcaraz, Rune, Fils, Fearnley, Fernandez, etc, I am sure other brands will try to find their take on a spin-friendly control racquet.
Currently, the Aero reigns supreme in this spin and control category when it comes to tour performance. Yes, the Yonex VCORE is still going strong, especially on the WTA tour, but even on the ATP with players like Tommy Paul, Zizou Bergs, and Joao Fonseca being in the spotlight.
It is clear that this style of spin-oriented 98 sq inch racquet that still provides decent control, is doing well on the ATP Tour. Yes, down the line we might see more players with 100 sq inch racquets like Jannik Sinner and his HEAD Speed MP, but with the 98 sq inch racquet you can swing it a bit faster and expect a little more control on average.
Sure, there are still plenty of Blades (the Blade was the best-selling racquet in 2024 and is used by many players on tour), Radicals and Tfights around, but we are definitely seeing an increase in the desire for more power. Yonex Ezones and Babolat Pure Drives are not unpopular, especially in the 98 sq inch head size.
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Other black-out racquets doing well
Bublik is arguably having his best season ever at the moment, playing with a blacked-out Pure Aero 98. He reached the French Open quarter-finals where he lost to Jannik Sinner, but yesterday he got revenge by beating the Italian world number one in Halle.
And with Stefanos Tsitsipas winning Dubai earlier using a blacked-out Aero 98 (he has since returned to a Blade 98 for more confidence and control), there is a whisper around the tour about seeking that little extra pop and spin from the racquet.
Does it mean that choosing the right racquet will make you into a better player? Not necessarily. You still need to do the work. But it might give you a boost in feel-good and confidence when you enjoy your connection to the racquet. It is, after all, an extension of the arm.
What can amateurs learn from this?
In a recent podcast with Nikola Aracic, we discussed the issues of changing racquets, especially if you are in a long testing period where you try a little bit of everything. This can lead to your confidence dipping and your muscle memory becoming a little scrambled as you are trying to get used to different grip shapes, stiffnesses, beam widths and sensations.
So, in my opinion, amateurs don’t need to chase the extra power that pros are looking for currently. On the club level, even the advanced club level, control is more important than power. Unforced errors is often what lose you the match. Still, you might be looking for a little more forgiveness on defense or a racquet which is easier to swing. There are many reasons to change your racquet or string, but getting a little more power or spin is probably not going to make a huge difference on the club level, especially since a racquet change can lead you to missing more.
Just something to consider, if you are currently wading through the jungle of new tennis racquets.
If we learn more about Karen Khachanov’s new racquet or other gear changes on the pro tour, we will let you know. Thanks for reading and please also subscribe on YouTube, where we have two channels. The primary one, which is primarily focused on gear and the second one, where you get more of a mix of content.
