Emma Raducanu explains racket switch after experimenting during training
Emma Raducanu was spotted practising with a new racket ahead of the new season, but she opted to use her tried and tested Wilson for her first match of the campaign at the United Cup.
The British No 1 has used Wilson rackets since her youth and the big W was part of her US Open fairytale run at Flushing Meadows in 2021, which ultimately resulted in the American sports equipment manufacturer offering her a more lucrative endorsement deal.
But Raducanu was seen using a Yonex racket during training in Australia, leading to speculation that she had swapped Wilson for the Japanese company.
Yet when she took to the court in Perth for her season-opener against Maria Sakkari at the team event, she took a Wilson racket out of her bag.
Raducanu went on to lose the match against the Greek No 1 in three sets, and during her post-match press conference, she explained the reason behind the recent changes.
Although she didn’t touch on her deal with Wilson it does appear that she is no longer tied down to a contract as she would not be testing a different manufacturer’s racket in public if she was still under contract with the American giant.
“I didn’t have much time to test, because I wasn’t playing for too long,” she revealed. “I was just looking to see if there was anything I can gain or add and hoped that I could have that time to do it, and I did. I practiced those two weeks pretty much with that racket.
“It’s great. I just felt like to play a match and to fully trust it, it was too soon. I just switched back to my racket. I know with certain shots, you feel every gram, you feel every kind of millimetre of your own racket, and you know it like your own hand. I think that’s why I went back to it.”
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Raducanu endorses the Wilson Blade range, but she actually plays with the Wilson Steam 100, which is disguised as a Blade.
She used the Yonex E-Zone in the lead-up to the United Cup with the racket known for adding more power, which usually results in less control over shots.
The 22-year-old added: “In a racket, I probably was looking for a bit more power, a bit more help and miles per hour on the ball, especially when it gets so heavy like it can in the evenings and with the balls.
“I was just trying that out. This one didn’t work. Yeah, probably now I’ll just stick to this until I have another gap in the season.”
