One of the sports that welcomes modern innovations without hesitation is surely tennis. Tennis has changed drastically throughout the years, from the classic wooden racquets, gut strings and grass courts (only) to carbon fiber, polyester, smart courts and more. Its insistence on blending performance with modern technologies is one of the key reasons why people love it.
Let’s look closer at some of the new tennis equipment and technology trends in 2024.
Tennis Equipment and Innovations in 2024
In professional tennis, technologies are in part reshaping how we perceive the game. But some of these modern-day tennis miracles have also spilled over to the casual scene.Â
Racquet Technology
You can argue that not much has happened in terms of racquet technology. For a while, smart racquets like the Babolat Pop or sensor like Zepp were all the rage, but nowadays you can use apps like Swingvision or measurement tools for tennis courts like Zenniz or Baseline. These products allow you to see if balls were in or out, serve speeds, amounts of rotations per minute on your forehand top spin shot and much more. They bring an engaging and informative aspect of statistics to tennis.
Racquets are overall different these days in terms of more shock-absorbing materials, the use of carbon fibre, and the overwhelming majority of lighter and stiffer racquets giving players more easy power, spin and forgiveness. One such racquet that impressed us is what we call the best light racquet on the market, but there are many other options from companies like Tennis Warehouse or Tennis Warehouse Europe.
These modern, more powerful racquets are reliant on using polyester strings that achieves better control and spin properties than gut and multifilament strings.
Pictured is the new Roger Federer racquet called RF One.
String Technology
Along with changes in racket design, string technology has also transformed drastically. Players are getting more spin, power, and control with various shapes, gauges, additives and colors of co-polyester strings.
These days many players also combine different poly strings to achieve the optimal performance for their game. This is called a hybrid string setup and can mean a combination of natural gut and poly, multifilament and poly or poly and poly.
Players like Novak Djokovic still use a combination of polyester and natural gut, while a younger generation of players like Casper Ruud and Lorenzo Musetti, hybrid two polyesters to get the playability and performance they like.
Picture is the excellent string from Nordicdots called TS 1.27.
Training tools
Tennis is a difficult game and players are always looking for any shortcuts to improve. The number of tennis training tools are growing yearly. We have tested several of Xpand’s products like the Gravity Belt and Kinetic band. But there also innovations in tennis ball machines like the Slinger bag and the self-moving Sportbot.
The Functional Tennis Saber has become a popular sweet spot tool for improving your ball strike. We have tested all different Sabers, like the Junior and the Lite and it is one of our favorite tennis training tools.
For ambitious player and stringers, the ERT 300 string computer is a near-must. This is a great tool to see how fast a string drops tension, when it is time to restring your racquet and get a better idea of what tension works the best for you. I use the ERT 300 for every racquet I string. You can get the ERT 300 from their official website. Get 10% off using the code TENNISNERD.
Tennis Bags
How do you innovate a tennis bag? Well, you try to maximise functionality and durability. There are some new players on the tennis bag market that have impressed us with their bags. Bags like the Geau Sport Axiom, Cancha Voyager or ADV Pro are all excellent bags that try to do something slightly different.
We listed our best tennis bags here.
Footwear and Apparel
One can’t overestimate the importance of tennis shoes and apparel in 2024. Together with lightweight and supportive shoe designs, modern cushioning and shock absorption technologies help athletes perform at their best by reducing their risk of injury.
As for clothing, compression wear and moisture-wicking materials have become common elements to keep players cool, dry, and energized throughout challenging matches.
Pictured is the Nike GP Challenge One.
Electronic Line Calling Systems
The electronic line calling system like Hawk-eye is among tennis technology’s most important developments. The days of depending just on human judgment for those critical in or out calls in professional events are long gone. These devices trace the ball’s flight and trajectory precisely using high-speed cameras and sophisticated algorithms, instantly deciding whether it landed in or out.
This technology has improved accuracy and sped up games by lowering conflicts and challenges. Matches flow more naturally, letting players concentrate on their performance instead of debating line calls. Although human line judges still have value in the sport, automated line calling has surely increased the standards for accuracy and fairness.
Embracing the Future of Tennis
The advancements in tennis equipment and technology by 2024 are quite remarkable. From smart racquets and high-tech strings to creative tools and gear. Although technology is clearly emphasized, it’s crucial to keep in mind that tennis’s essence is players’ skill, love and dedication.
