Casper Ruud’s new racquet is not dramatically different. That is what he said when asked about it during the Laver Cup.
He talked about having gone for a smaller head size as well as changed weight and balance. As you might know, Casper Ruud’s previous racquet was the Yonex DR 100 Plus (customized), which is a very powerful racquet. Going to the DR 98 Plus (this is the logical guess based on what he has talked about) will give him more control and possibly the freedom to go for his shots more and not hit with the amount of spin he used to.
You can listen to him talk about his racquet in this clip.
Ruud won the first match at the Laver Cup with his new racquet but with all racquet changes there will be ups and downs and potential doubts. We will see how it works for the rest of the season.
Find most Yonex racquets from Tennis Warehouse (US, Canada), Tennis Warehouse Europe (use code TNERD10 for a 10% discount) or at Tennis Only (AU).
This is Casper’s upcoming tournament schedule from his website:
Tokyo, ATP 500, 24. Sept – 30. Sept
Shanghai, ATP 1000, 1. Oct -12. Oct
Stockholm Open, ATP 250, 13. Oct – 19. Oct
Basel, ATP 500, 20. Oct -26 Oct
Paris Masters, ATP 1000, 27. Oct- 2. Nov
More control?
It is rare these days that pro players are looking for more control, but in Casper’s situation he used an extended 100 sq inch racquet which is a very powerful setup. That is what it makes sense for him to look for a racquet that gives him the freedom to be more aggressive and go for smaller targets.
Alexander Zverev is also testing something new, whether he is looking for more power or control is difficult to say. According to sources it is a new racquet from HEAD.
We are heading towards the final months of the season and then we have an off-season or pre-season where players will test new racquets and strings before the whole circus starts again in January. We will do our best to keep you posted on what we spot out there.
Thanks to all the guys on Instagram who keep sending new gear observations.
