Jannik Sinner has powered through the draw at this year's Australian Open, which led to many observers lavishing praise on the Italians' irresistible form.
Sinner scored one of the best wins of his career in Friday's semifinal when he knocked out defending champion Novak Djokovic in four sets. The 22-year-old will contest a first Grand Slam final on Sunday when he faces World No. 3 Daniil Medvedev.
One of Sinner's "secret" weapons at the tournament has been the racket he carries with him - the Speed Pro 2024 - which is manufactured by HEAD Sport. Almost two weeks ago, Sinner signed a new long-term contract with the company.
Remarkably, when Sinner was a skier during his embryonic years, he was also sponsored by HEAD, which produces sports equipment in various sports, including skiing. The Italian is believed to be the only tennis pro who has had deals with the company in two different sports.
During one of his earlier matches at the tournament, former World No. 1 Jim Courier asked Sinner what makes his racket special during the on-court interview. The American tried to convince the fourth seed to reveal the secret behind his customized racket.
A tightlipped Sinner argued that it was only a "normal" racket and that he had been quizzed by fellow players on his racket model because of his unbridled power game. What is more notable is how Sinner has managed to tweak his serve and become a more destructive ball striker.
"Secrets, guys. Honestly, many players ask me what racquet I play with and I think it's a normal racquet, to be honest.
Courier was not buying into Sinner's words and said with a smile, "You keep saying you're being honest which just tells me you're lying. All you're doing is lying here. Come clean, man."
"I don't know the states of the racquets. To be honest I haven't changed racquets for three to four years. I don't want to change at the moment. We tried a couple of other strings but it's a really normal racquet."
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