Which Professional Players Have Switched Rackets in 2022?
The start of the new tennis season has been somewhat overshadowed by the media frenzy surrounding Novak Djokovic’s participation in the 2022 Australian Open. So, it may have passed you by that an array of players have switched rackets over the off season but here at All Things Tennis, we’re racket nerds who don’t miss a thing!
The tennis off season is short but extremely important for every player, many players often tinker with their racket specs during this time but it’s rare to see players switch to entirely different frames. In this blog, we’re breaking down some of the major racket changes we’ve noticed during the first two weeks of the 2022 season.
Andy Murray – Head Prestige MP Lite Tennis Racket 2021
Murray has used a customised Head Pro Tour 630 painted to look like a Head Graphene 360+ Radical Pro for most of his professional career. He’s been a long-time ambassador for the Radical series and although he doesn’t actually use a Radical, the 20-year-old Pro Tour 630 model has a similar ethos to the Radical Pro Murray used to endorse. However, in the 2021 off season, Murray switched to an entirely new frame. He’s currently using the new Head Prestige MP Lite which has been customised to fit his preferred specs.
One of the biggest differences for Andy will be the 99 square inch head size on his new Prestige MP Lite, this is a big change from his old Pro Tour racket that had a 95 square inch head. Last year we wrote a blog about a potential racket swap Andy could make in order to afford himself more easy power on court, this seems to be what he’s aiming for with this slightly more forgiving frame.
Check out the blog here:
We made a video about the new Head Prestige range and broke down what kind of player would suit each new frame:
Thanasi Kokkinakis – Yonex EZONE 98 Tennis Racket
A large chunk of Kokkinakis’s career has been defined by injuries, but he’s looking fit and playing well in Adelaide after another long period on the side-lines. He also looks to have switched to a Yonex EZONE 98 after previously having played with a Babolat Pure Aero. It’s hard to know exactly what Thanasi is playing with as the frame he’s using is blacked out (most likely duo to sponsor contracts etc) but you can tell it’s a Yonex from the butt cap and the shape of the frame leads me to believe it’s an EZONE 98.
The EZONE 98 is becoming more and more popular with both professional and amateur players as the word spreads about its brilliant combination of control and power. I have recently switched to the EZONE 98 Tour and it’s honestly one of the best rackets I’ve ever played with. The EZONE is certainly working for Kokkinakis as he reached the semi-final of his first tournament in 3 months at the Adelaide International last week.
Coco Gauff – Head BOOM MP
Coco Gauff has become the highest profile player to endorse the brand-new BOOM racket range from Head. It looks like she’s playing with the Boom MP which is set to be released later this month. Gauff previously played with the Head Graphene 360+ Speed MP 2020 and this racket switch may be purely cosmetic, but we’ll do some more digging and get back to you!
Denis Shapovalov – Yonex Ezone 98
Having previously endorsed and played with the Yonex VCORE 95, Shapovalov looks to have switched to the EZONE 98, a major change for this young talent. Denis may be looking for a bigger sweet spot and added control with this switch, the VCORE 95 is a very whippy frame that provides great power and spin potential but may be lacking enough control for Shapovalov.
He’s certainly had a lot of success with his new EZONE 98 as he won all his singles matches at the ATP Cup as he and Felix Auger Aliassime took team Canada to victory.
If you too feel like tinkering with your racket set up, then send us an email at orders@allthingstennis.co.uk and we’ll advise you on what might be best for your game.
We also have a range of demo rackets available to pick up in store or to order online.
Written by Aron Dochard
