There are always interesting things going on in the pro-player camps in the off-season. Is Khachanov switching to Yonex?

Khachanov switching to Yonex?

As you might know, Karen Khachanov’s racquet is a Wilson H22. He did flirt with HEAD racquets for some years but went back to the H22. But the off-season is the time when pro players test new things and have time to evaluate potential changes to their game or their gear. It’s also the time when tennis companies try to find new players to sponsor. It’s quite common for companies to contact players with proposals, especially if their current contract is due to expire.

So, in this case, it could have been Yonex contacting Khachanov or Khachanov wanting to test something new. Maybe he wants more power or just a different feel? Perhaps he tried a friend’s Yonex racquet, liked how it played and wanted to try it. Who knows but people close to the player, but it’s always interesting to see how this potential switch can affect a player’s results. If Khachanov is switching to Yonex, I will surely keep my eyes on how this change will affect his game and results in 2023. But most likely, he will go back to his current setup.

I made a YouTube short about this, and Alicia Parks Dunlop-painted Yonex. Watch it here.

Other examples of recent pro-player racquet switches

We saw a player like Christian Garin change gear a few times about a year ago, but he returned to his HEAD racquet in the end. Denis Shapovalov was also back and forth with his old VCORE racquet in 2022. For a while, he was using the new Ezone 98, but now it looks like he is playing with the new Yonex VCORE 2023, but we cannot be sure. He could also be back to his old Yonex VCORE SV 95.

Another example is Andy Murray, who wanted more power with a larger head size. But after months of playing with a 99 sq inch version of his racquet, he went back to his trusted PT57A. Muscle memory and familiarity usually win in the end.

Will Khachanov switch to Yonex? Watch this space!