Stefanos Tsitsipas enjoys early success with mystery racquet in Dubai

Stefanos Tsitsipas is a two-time Grand Slam finalist and former No. 3 player in the world. The Greek is immensely talented with a dynamic, all-court game that translates to any surface.

He’s also in something of a rut.

The consistency in Tsitsipas’ game and results has been wanting. His match win totals have dropped in each of the past two seasons, capturing only one tournament title in each campaign. He’s been bounced in the first round of his last two Grand Slams and has made the quarterfinals in just two of his last eight majors.

Still just 26, Tsitsipas has lots of mileage left. Which is why he’s searching for ways to reinvigorate his game. At the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships this week, Tsitsipas showed up with a blacked-out frame to see if an equipment change could reverse his recent fortunes.

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When asked about his new-look racquet after beating Lorenzo Sonego in his first match, Tsitsipas responded that balls and courts have become slower on the ATP Tour. It hasn’t suited his aggressive style and he needs to find ways to adapt.

If Tsitsipas is looking for help speeding up his shots, juicing up his racquet is definitely an option. It could also help sure up the dependability of his one-handed backhand—especially when returning serve—which is often his Achilles heel.

Thus far, he’s been cagey about the tryout. Requests for comments from Wilson have also gone unreturned. Which leaves plenty of room for speculation. Let’s see if we can connect some dots by addressing a few questions.

What’s the story with Tsitsipas’ previous racquet?

Tsitsipas had been playing with a Wilson Blade, the most widely used racquet on the pro tours. It’s revered for its precision, feel and all-court versatility. The franchise launched in 2008 and Wilson pros use a variety of its iterations; Tsitsipas’ preference was for a 98 square-inch head with an 18x20 string pattern and Luxilon 4G strings.

His setup produces a highly predictable response and great control, but requires more effort to generate power and spin than many other competing models. The Blade probably has more in common with more classic control racquets such as the Wilson Pro Staff and Head Prestige, which are on the decline in popularity.

Could a racquet change really make that much of a difference?

There’s an old locker room adage that once a player finds success with a racquet and shoes they like, they should never switch. Change does bring uncertainty, but Tsitsipas is willing to court it for some added mph and a mental shot in the arm. There is recent precedent that points in his favor.

To start this season, we saw two notable defections from Blade veterans. Madison Keys switched to a Yonex EZONE and won her first Grand Slam title in Australia. Elina Svitolina moved on to the Diadem Axis and made the quarters Down Under. The blacked-out racquet Tsitsipas is experimenting with has a thicker, more rounded beam shape than the Blade, as well as a more open 16x20 string pattern. Throw in a stiffer layup and Tsitsipas can generate more pace and jump on his serve and forehand, while providing more margin for error on his one-hander.

Where would he go from the Blade?

The shortest leap for Tsitsipas would be to another Wilson frame. He’s been with the company for his entire pro career and they would have the most insights into his current equipment. There are other options in the brand’s lineup that could certainly aid in his pursuit for easier and more effective aggression. One such possibility is the Shift, which Wilson specifically developed to be powerful and spin-friendly. It has a slightly bigger head size than a Blade, and one of the models does have a 16x20 string pattern. Yet, when compared to Tsitsipas’ demo, the Shift doesn’t appear to pass the eyeball test.

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Another possibility could be something out of the new RF Collection. Designed in collaboration with Roger Federer, the racquets were also created to have more modern aerodynamics and spin-potential. There currently is no model in the franchise with a 16x20 string pattern, but it’s common for pros use customized molds that differ from the in-store lineup. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a proven tour commodity promoting the inaugural edition. However, like the Shift, it doesn’t seem to be an exact match.

Is there anything to the “W” stenciled on his strings?

Perhaps. It could be that the brand has Tsitsipas experimenting with a new, undisclosed prototype. Although with both the Shift and RF franchise still in their first generations, it would most likely be an addition to an existing line.

It is somewhat telling, though, that the butt cap and strings on the frame appear to be both blacked-out as well. There’s no “W” on the trap door and the strings don’t have 4G coloring. If true, that would be an indication that it’s probably not Wilson equipment. In which case, this could be a situation where Tsitsipas is still contractually obligated to have the “W” appear on his strings. There are previous examples of players using a blacked-out frame of one company with the stencil of another until they can officially part ways.

What are the most likely other non-Wilson contenders?

The betting favorite is the Babolat Pure Aero 98. If the Blade is the most popular kid in school, the Pure Aero 98 is arguably the coolest. Used most notably by Carlos Alcaraz, it has been gaining serious traction on the ATP Tour. It produces a livelier ball than a Blade, but still controllable enough to be dependable.

The Pure Aero 98 has the same string pattern as Tsitsipas’ blacked-out model, and a similar unique beam shape in the throat. There’s also chatter on social media that Tsitsipas had previously been enamored with the frame, even telling his camp he wanted to try it after practicing with Alcaraz. In other words, I’ll have what he’s having.

When the dust settles, is this change a done deal?

The marriage is off to an encouraging start: Tsitsipas is 3-0 with wins over three Top 40 players (Sonego, Karen Khachanov and Matteo Berrettini). But these honeymoon periods can be fickle. All it takes is one shaky outing and a player might reach for old reliable. Tsitsipas is also notoriously mercurial and emotional, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back with the Blade at some point.

Regardless of how it shakes out, Tsitsipas deserves credit for taking stock of his game and exploring other options.