There were many tennis rackets introduced over the past decade, but some became more iconic than others.
Every tennis player prefers a different setup and a different brand of a tennis racket, and that's why there are many on offer. Over the years, certain players popularized different rackets, which late became iconic.
The Blade line was launched in the mid-2000s, but came into major popularity during the proceeding decade. The all-court, plusher performance was reminiscent of the famous Wilson ProStaff line – the result of the Blade’s braided graphite and basalt fibres having similar properties to the ProStaff’s construction – albeit in a much lighter and modern package.
Standouts from this line were the Version 4 and 5 Blades, launched in 2012 and 2015 respectively, but the racket line still remains popular today, with the current Version 8.
With the feel something of a cross between a Pure Drive and a Wilson Blade, and the OPS frame shape reminiscent of an Aero racket, the Yonex Ezone series was the ultimate do-it-all racket for a time, favoured by those seeking a high quality frame straight off the shelf.
The Ezone is still one of Yonex’s most popular rackets amongst amateurs and professionals alike and can be seen in the hands of Nick Kyrgios, Ben Shelton and Naomi Osaka, to name but a few.
Launched in 2015 as a re-brand of the accomplished Aeropro Drive and with Rafael Nadal’s endorsement, the Pure Aero immediately became a must-have racket. This was a racket built for attacking the ball with spin, and whose relatively high stiffness of 70RA meant touch shots were still crisp.
As an aside, these early Pure Aeros were notorious for eating through strings – likely a factor of the FSI grommets that allowed for increased string movement.
One of the most popular rackets at every level of tennis, versions of the Pure Aero are used by Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune, Felix Auger-Alliassime and many more.
The Speed’s first introduction in 2009 may have meant it wasn’t as long-established as some of Head’s other lines – such as the Radical and Prestige – but in just a few years, it became as famous as any of them.
This clinical, black-and-white racket rose to popularity in the 2010s, favoured by players for it’s stable, reliable play from the baseline, in both defence and attack, and Head’s range of racket specs within the line – MP, Pro, S – provided an option for all skill levels.
It’s no question the Head Speed’s popularity today is largely down to the continued dominance of main spokesperson Novak Djokovic, but Djokovic is not the only player in the top 5 who competes with a
Speed: Jannik Sinner has been a long-time user of this line, stretching all the way back to his days on the junior circuit.
In 2014, after months of speculation and a marketing campaign like no other for a racket, the Wilson ProStaff 97 was launched: The first major update to the iconic ProStaff line since 2003.
With the endorsement of tennis legend Roger Federer, the new Wilson ProStaff was instantly popular, and still is today. The RF97 signature edition, the most demanding version of the racket, is perhaps a little old-fashioned specs-wise, but any advanced-level tennis player should try it out simply for the experience.