Here is yet another segment in the never-ending topic of new racquets on the ATP Tour. We are seeing a lot of back and forth and searching from high-ranking pros.
We are one week into the Madrid Masters, and we have some observations.
Is Alcaraz’s wrist injury related to his equipment?
First of all, the absence of Alcaraz is felt. He is not only skipping Madrid but also the French Open. This opens the door (even more) for Sinner and the other players, but it is a sad fact for the tournament.
Has the equipment been a factor in Alcaraz arm issues over the years? Possibly. Playing RPM Team 1.30 at 55/51 lbs or 25/23 kg in a light and stiff racquet like the Aero 98 (VS allegedly), is a firm setup. Most players using Aeros go to softer strings or lower tensions. Or both.
Playing with low swing weights and light racquets will be less good for arm health as there is less stability on the incoming ball. Playing a too heavy racquet leading to being late on the ball is not good either, especially for amateurs, but having some mass on the frame helps tackle vibrations. You need to find the balance, which is not trivial.
The reduction in swing weight is definitely a thing. Alexander Bublik plays around 311 from what I have heard (and seen), but he is not alone. Learner Tien is in a similar range of swing weight for his Ultra. Upcoming pros like Dutch Orange Bowl winner, Thijs Boogard, play 291 SW unstrung on his P98, but the balance is pretty high. When I talked to Dieter Calle, of DC Customizing) This is something he believes is sensible. Going lower in swing weight and higher in balance, but it of course depends on player style and preferences, as well.
Players are searching
Since Dieter customizes most Tecnifibre pro racquets, I would guess he has also done Atmane’s new spin racquet. I don’t know Terence Atmane’s specs, but he is testing a new Tecnifibre spin prototype with what looks like 4G. Unless the string is also new. He survived some nasty cramps against another player, testing racquet, Ugo Humbert.
Humbert has been back and forth with his HEAD Speed and his Blade and seems to not quite find his footing. In Monte Carlo he used the Blade, in Madrid he used the Speed. It has to be difficult to adjust to the new racquet for matches on this level.
Dimitrov is another player going back and forth between Python and Pro Staff. Nothing has quite worked out for him yet. When you are back and forth between racquets, it is usually a sign that your game and confidence is not there. But who knows, it can click out of the blue and he will string together a bunch of wins.
One player who has played his best tennis in Madrid in a long time is Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is back to his old self and Blades. Sometimes the answer is not more power and spin, but going back home where your game originated. This seems to have worked well for him so far as he did beat Bublik in round two in impressive fashion.
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Overthinking your equipment
You can always argue what is real and what is placebo, but tennis is such a mental sport that feeling confident and feeling good on the court is huge. There are many ways to get there, but it is a personal journey that can take a lot of time and energy.
Overthinking racquets is common among tennis nerds, but we also see this trend grow on the ATP and WTA Tour. You’re always searching for that extra something and in terms of equipment it can lead you down a rabbit hole. Which in turn can hurt your muscle memory and make you insecure on the court.
Did this trend start due to the reduction in ball quality or is it just a sign of the times? It is difficult to argue that we are more and more connected to technology overall and the equipment is vital in almost all sports. But to keep tweaking and changing forces you to now only have to adjust to courts, opponents, conditions and balls, but also your own racquet. This makes one of the world’s most difficult sports, even more difficult.
Other observations
Outside Madrid, we have seen Timofej Skatov use what looks like a Babolat Pure Aero 98 instead of his usual Yonex Ezone 98.
We also got a sticker of Thiijs Boogard’s racquet specs, 312g, 31.7 cm balance and 291 SW. As we can see, quite a low swing weight for a player of that quality (at least compared to what we are used to).
Tallon Griekspoor has also been seen experimenting with a 16/19 pattern on his Tecnifibre Tfight (usual pattern 18/19). Yet another player looking for a little more spin and depth from his racquet.
Have you spotted some players testing new gear? Let us know in the comments or reach out to @tennisnerdinsta on Instagram.
Hi, Jonas.
What did you mean “Going lower in swing weight and higher in balance”
Hi, so you reduce weight from the head but also from the handle, making the balance higher and the swing weight lower.
Jonas, I know that you have used the PA 98 extensively for match play. But, did I hear you say that you have changed to the Ezone 98???
Hi John, no change yet, I am experimenting at the moment. I instinctively want to go up to a 100 sq inch head size so trying some different options there