Yosuke Watanuki's Racquet - Player Profile

Yosuke Watanuki is a talented Japanese player that just had a good run at the 2025 Indian Wells, following a lot of injury problems. But what is Watanuki’s racquet and gear?

Yosuke Watanuki’s tennis racquet

Yosuke Watanuki’s tennis racquet is a Babolat Pure Drive (click for our review). He is endorsing the 2025 cosmetic but is likely using an older model. 2018 or 2021, for example. It also looks like it is the longer version, called Babolat Pure Drive Plus (click to see the specs). This is a guess, so if you have more information about Yosuke Watanuki’s tennis racquet, please comment below. This includes Watanuki’s string and tension.

Bio and Career

Yosuke Watanuki was born on the 12th April, 1998, in Saitama, Japan. He began playing tennis at age 3 as most of his family members played (and coached tennis).

Playing on the junior tour, Watanuki managed a career high combined ranking of number 2, achieved on 21st March 2016.

He turned pro the same year and made his ATP debut at the 2018 Citi Open as a qualifier, securing his first tour-level win later that year at the Japan Open against Robin Haase. His maiden Challenger title came in 2019 at Kobe, followed by back-to-back victories in 2022 at Kobe and Yokkaichi, contributing to his 4-3 Challenger finals record (95-64 overall).

In 2023, he got into the top 100 of the world rankings after qualifying for the Australian Open (Watanuki’s Grand Slam debut) reaching the second round. That year, he also got his first Top-20 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime at the ATP Washington.

One of his best tennis moments, came in March 2025 at the Indian Wells Masters, while ranked 349, Watanuki qualified and stormed to the fourth round (his deepest Masters 1000 run) defeating Alexander Bublik, Tomas Machac and Frances Tiafoe in an impressive run. Notably, he’s currently trialing with Tiafoe’s ex-coach, Wayne Ferreira. Ferreira really helped Tiafoe reach his current potential. We’ll have to see if he can do the same for Watanuki.

His 2024 season included a third-round showing at the Shanghai Masters, showing a comeback from a six-month absence due to knee tendinitis, was coming.

Watanuki is a great shot maker with a unique serve where he’s launching himself into the court, which complements his aggressive baseline game but also confident around the net.

Watanuki holds a career-high ATP singles ranking of World no 72, (October 2023), and a doubles ranking of no 374 (January 2019). Currently ranked 349, he is the number 10 ranked Japanese player. We expect him to climb these rankings if he can remain injury free.