A recent comment from Head’s official Instagram page may allude that Novak Djokovic's signature racket may indeed become a reality.
The promotional video for the new Head Speed Line has been posted on the Head Instagram account. The short-form video, featuring Jannik Sinner, presents a first official look at the 2024 Head Speed, with the rather slick tagline “The Art Of Speed.”
However, notably the video is missing fellow Head Speed endorsee and world number one, Novak Djokovic. But there may be a reason for this... A fan commented underneath the promotional video, pleading for the release of a signature, special edition of the Head Speed based on Djokovic’s personal racket specs, much like what the Wilson RF97 ProStaff is to Roger Federer, and what the Babolat Pure Aero Rafa Origin is to Rafael Nadal.
Surprisingly, Head answered the question, replying on Instagram to say, “We at Head are always listening, so stay tuned for more.”
While the comment has since been deleted, this does bring hope to tennis enthusiasts. Could Head be putting together a Djokovic signature Speed? Until now Djokovic’s exact frame has always been a closely guarded secret, with only Djokovic himself seeing any use of them – even amongst other professionals.
We know the frame is based loosely on an old Head Liquidmetal Radical – which Djokovic used when he first entered the pro tour in 2003 – but with minor changes in customisation over the years, and a major change of racket in 2018 to an even more mysterious Head frame, enthusiasts are desperate for a real look at the racket behind the tennis legend.
A worthy concern of such a racket would be the playability of such a signature racket. Given what we know about the very high swing weight and stability of Djokovic’s personal setup, a true recreation of his racket would prove extremely challenging, even for accomplished tennis players – especially when the trend for professional players in recent years, such as Carlos Alcaraz, has been towards lighter rackets.
The same difficulty for real-world use has already been proven true for the old-fashioned Wilson RF97 representative of Federer; and the brutally high balanced Pure Aero Rafa Origin representative of Rafael Nadal.
However, the presence of these special rackets on the market goes beyond the realistic use for amateurs. Sure, a Djokovic signature racket won’t become a daily driver racket for the average tennis player, but that doesn’t matter.
We as tennis enthusiasts simply want to experience a little bit the feel of playing like Novak Djokovic, or to find a new way to appreciate the skill required to compete with such an instrument.
Signature rackets provide incredible insight into the game of the greatest tennis players in history, and while this comment from Head seems like a positive step forward, we may still be a long way off from seeing a Djokovic Signature Head Speed.
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