I have gotten some questions about US Open pro player gear and I thought I’d tackle it in a video and this post.
Introduction
Pro player racquets are always a bit of a mystery. Most players use something different from what they endorse. There are pro stock racquets, pro stock strings, customized shoes and even custom apparel for professional players. You can do some detective work and study racquet molds and string patterns from pictures, but luckily we have many stringers and customizers out there that share information. I also want to thank all the contributors that share their observations via our Instagram.
Alcaraz new strings
At the time of writing, Alcaraz is out of the US Open, losing in straight sets to Botic van de Zandschulp. This is the shock of the tournament so far and perhaps the upset of the year, considering it was in straight sets. But in terms of US Open player gear, we have some news around his strings.
According to Craig Shapiro, Alcaraz is disenchanted with his management team and this is perhaps why is head is not quite in the game at the moment. Also, the Olympic hangover might still be bothering him.
Alcaraz has been using a new string since Wimbledon, or perhaps slightly before. He was using Babolat RPM Blast 1.30 before the 2024 season but has been playing with Babolat RPM Team 1.30 during the last months. RPM Team is a softer and slicker version of Blast and a bit more comfortable on the arm. As you might know, Alcaraz has struggled with his elbow.
Not sure the string has impacted his play in any way, but I think it might be wise to get some rest now and then come back and finish the season in style.
You can read more about Alcaraz racquet here.
Kokkinakis back to the Aero
When Thanasi Kokkinakis won his first ATP tour title in Adelaide in 2022, he was using the Yonex Ezone 98. Before that, he was always a Babolat guy. At first, with the Aero 100, then using the Strike 98 18/20.
During his US Open win against Stefanos Tsitsipas, he was using a blacked-out racquet that indicated a Pure Aero mold. So the safe assumption is he is back to the Aero, but not with any official sponsorship yet, which is why they black out racquets in this way. Maybe he is under contract with Yonex and cannot use the Aero publically.
He is still using the same strings as you can read about in the Kokkinakis racquet post.
Lucas Pouille with the Prince Tour Carbon
Lucas Pouille has been spotted with a new racquet by the looks of it. But it is actually a new cosmetic for his Prince Tour 100P. Tennis Warehouse now offers the Prince ATS Tour racquets (link to the review) in a new Carbon cosmetic (link to TW).
Currently, the racquets are only available from Tennis Warehouse, not TW Europe or Tennis Only. Pouille has climbed back up the rankings a bit, but is still far from his top ten ranking in 2018. He is a talented player and might be back in the top 100 soon.
Dominic Thiem finishes with a new string pattern
Dominic Thiem played his last Grand Slam match, losing in straight sets to Ben Shelton in round 1 of the US Open 2024. His heart (and most likely body and mind) are not in the game anymore, and he will finish his career at the Vienna Open later this year.
If you look at close-ups of Thiem’s racquet in the last few months, he has gone from his standard 18/20 pattern on his Babolat Pure Strike, to a 16/19 pattern. This is not huge news since he is retiring, but I got some questions about it so I included it here.
Andy Roddick’s new racquet
Roddick is not an active player since quite a few years now, but has been in the spotlight a lot lately due to his excellent Served podcast.
Roddick used to have his own Pure Drive model, an extended heavier version of the Babolat Pure Drive, but has now switched to the Wilson Shift 99 with some customization.
I don’t know the exact specs, string tension or even string, so if you do please share in the comments.
Andrey Rublev’s new shoes
Andrey Rublev has signed with K-Swiss for a new shoe sponsorship. He is using what looks like a new shoe with his “Rublo” logo on. It could be the Ultrashot 4. The K-Swiss Ultrashot 3 was excellent!
Check out K-Swiss shoes at Tennis Warehouse, Tennis Warehouse Europe or Tennis Only.
How far can Rublev go in this US Open 2024? Let me know in the comments.
Kei Nishikori’s new racquet
Kei Nishikori is back and played a good match to beat Tsitsipas in the lead-up to the US Open. A while back he made a switch to a new racquet painted like a Wilson Ultra, but no one seems to know what it is (outside Wilson and Kei’s team of course).
Any info about this, seemingly, unique racquet mold is appreciated.
Summary
Those are some US Open Pro Player Gear observations for 2024. If you have spotted something new or surprising, reach out via the contact us form or Instagram.
Which piece of information were you most surprised by?
