Roger Federer is playing Hamburg this week with a new, larger Wilson racquet that is blacked out. Federer will try out the new frame against Daniel Brands on Wednesday. Federer has been playing with a BLX Pro Staff 90 (square-inch head) and said in his press conference that he is now playing with a larger, 98 square-inch frame. There is no Pro Staff at a 98 square-inch size, so the new frame is likely a Wilson Blade or Steam.
“I think 90% of the players on the ATP tour have head sizes between 95 and 100,” Federer said. “We have now tested this, and so far it’s going great. I can easily adjust with the new power.”
In other racquet news, former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki is no longer under contract with Yonex, TENNIS.com confirmed. A report in Ekstra Bladet said that Yonex was upset with Wozniacki for playing with a blacked-out racquet this spring and negated their contract. That racquet was presumed to be a Babolat, as she once played with one before. However, Woznaicki’s representatives say that no new deal has been struck with another racquet company.