Inside story on the revamped racket that fired Mirra Andreeva to Roland Garros glory

Kevin Palmer 07 Jun 2026 1:15 PM

Mirra Andreeva uses the Wilson Blade racket

It has long been the weapon of choice for the game’s top player and now Wilson’s iconic and revamped Blade racket has served up another Grand Slam champion.

As Mirra Andreeva threw her green frame to the floor after winning her first title at Roland Garros with a convincing win in the final against Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska, she could give some of the credit for her moment of glory to the racket that fired her to victory.

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka is among around 40 elite players currently using the Blade, with Beatriz Haddad Maia, Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alex de Minaur , Karen Khachanov, and Sebastian Korda also choosing a racket that has become the most used on the professional tour.

Now Andreeva has added to the list of Grand Slam champions using the Blade, with the revamped model certain to get a big sales boost after her win with recreational players.

All the rackets we see being used by the game’s elite players are custom made, with the players at the top of the rankings benefiting from the perfect string settings to suit their game and a frame that has been modified to give them just what they need.

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So the Wilson Blade racket club players can buy is a little less refined, but the technology that went into Andreeva’s racket can be bought by non professional players.

The Blade v9 is built on a legacy that starts with the racket’s debut in 2006 and includes players of great caliber.

Wilson developed the Blade in response to a shift in tennis in the early 2000s from a serve and volley style to aggressive baseliners dominating.

With the game getting faster, players started using more spin and power to craft shots that were previously thought impossible, with the Blade emerging as a tool to give advanced players the feel and control they needed to swing fast and hit punishing groundstrokes.

In 2008, when Wilson launched the second model in the series, the KBlade, both Australian Open finalists in the men’s tournament, Novak Djokovic and Jo-Wilfred Tsonga, played with the racket.

Over the past seventeen years, the series has undergone a metamorphosis, continuously adapting as the game has evolved.

Each iteration represents a step forward in technology and design and a commitment to providing competitive players with the tools they need to dominate on the court.

In the latest chapter of the Blade saga, the Wilson team set out to create a “shaper Blade” that would give players more confidence in big moments.

Aryna Sabalenka wins the Indian Wells title with a Wilson Blade racket

The v9 introduces new features designed to enhance the racket’s performance, at the forefront of which is the innovative StableFeel technology.

Wilson claims the Blade v9 racket line offers players unparalleled control and confidence with every stroke. Players will especially notice more control on off-center hits compared to the previous Blade v8 line.

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The first thing you notice about the Blade v9 is the smaller head size (98 sq. in) and thin beam (20.6mm) that is designed to offer more control over every shot.

Tennis365 did a test drive of the Blade v9 confirmed it is a slick frame that gives club players control and power, even if we will never reach the heights the professional players who use the racket can touch.

The Blade’s priminence at the top of the game will ensure it becomes the racket of choice for professionals and club players, with Andreeva’s win at Roland Garros adding to its profile.