Roger Federer’s latest renaissance began when he switched rackets. Federer was one of the last hold-outs to use the smaller frame, smaller head racket. It seemed to suit his singular elegance. But players started overpowering Federer on occasion, which was new territory for the Swiss tennis king. So he made the move to the Wilson RF97, adding eight square inches to his frame, boosting the surface area to 97 inches. (Djokovic uses a racket with 100 square inches.) Federer will have that weapon in hand today as he battles Djokovic in the Finals at Wimbledon. It has made all the difference, helping Federer cut down on backhand errors and add power. It’s clearly down wonders for his serve too.
Wilson is an old brand, nothing like upstart Babolot that took tennis by storm thanks to Rafa Nadal, et al. Old gets a bad rap — how about prestigious instead? That works. Wimbledon, for example, is more prestigious — and venerable — than old. But venerable only works if you keep up with the times, go high tech. Wimbledon put a billion dollar retractable roof on center court. And Wilson made a racket with a larger head for Roger Federer. Btw, Wilson just won the Wimbledon Ladies championship, too. Thanks to Serena Williams.
