I got many messages on Instagram about Stefanos Tsitsipas’s new racquet, which he is playing with in Dubai. I am not in a position to give a yes or no answer, but you can read some speculations that have circulated online below.
The racquet is blacked out and has an aerodynamic beam, which is different from his usual Wilson Blade 98 18/20. The string pattern looks rather dense, which should give him control despite the extra power from the thicker beam.
The racquet is reminiscent of a Babolat Pure Aero 98 or a Diadem Axis 98. The closest Wilson has to that in their line-up currently is the Wilson Shift 99. But if you look closely at the beam design, especially towards the throat, it does not look like a Shift.
Tsitsipas new racquet has a 16/20 pattern, which is true for all the above racquets. But Wilson could have made a special racquet for him or be planning a new release. One thing is sure: we will find out eventually, so some patience is needed. It is not unthinkable that he goes back to his old setup either, depending on the results to follow.
The Greek superstar has been looking for more power from his racquet for a while and this could be a long-term or short-term experiment depending on the result. But what is clear is that he is willing to keep searching and experimenting. This can lead to a rabbit hole of always questioning your racquet and your specs, so at some point, you need to just decide and work with the frame.
Winning the title in Dubai will likely make him stay with this racquet for the near future. But time will tell.
Pros are looking for more from their racquets
We have seen some successful racquet switches in recent times. Tommy Paul did well moving from the Blade 98 to the Yonex VCORE 98. Madison Keys switched from her Wilson Blade Pro to a Yonex Ezone 98 and has started the season amazingly well. Alexander Zverev switched from the Gravity Pro to the Gravity Tour towards the end of last year and has had some excellent results.
It is not always what the racquet does, but how it can change the mental energy of the player slightly. But it can also lead to confusion and racquet blaming, so it is a double-sided sword.
What can a new racquet do for Stefanos Tsitsipas? Well, he has struggled in the last year to build consistency and if he could build some confidence and string some good results together, he will always be a threat for the biggest titles.
It will be interesting to follow his journey and see if he stays with the new racquet. Congrats to him for winning the Dubai title.
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Could it be a RF01 pro, Federer new Wilson racquet? It has a very similar aero design to the pure aero 98 with a dense control oriented 16×19 string pattern. I moved from the blade 98 18×20 and experimented with both the RF01 pro and the aero 98. Lots of similarities except the RF01 pro is more control oriented with less power but it has much more power than the blade. Both the RF01 pro and the aero 98 are great for one handed backhand.
I think for better control and less energy
It doesn’t look like a pure aero 98 and the only other 16×20 racquets I could see are Wilson Clash v3 or Head Gravity. It does look more like the Head Gravity to me. I have tried 4G string on blade 98 v9 16×19 and it has no power and no feel. I would much prefer Alu Power on any blade version.
Simon how can u see a gravity there ? xD
It’s totally a pure aero 98. Can totally see the aero throat. Jonas is right.
Peter, Tsitsipas sponsorship is Wilson, if he was using a rf01 pro… it will not be a blackframe bro. And it doesnt look like a rf01 pro, and its an 16/20 in the hands of tsitsipas on the picture.
There’s no chance it’s a Pure Aero 98. The beam is thinner and keeps its thickness across the whole racquet.
Just assumed it was A Clash 100 V3
RF 01 with customized 16×20 pattern
That is not a Babolat racket. The signature egg shape is missing that is the reason I avoid them. An RF is a very good idea, I didn’t even think of. Anyone know, if the throats match? If you have an isolated, detailed shot of the frame, put it through yandex.com/images – that usually helps a lot.