Roger Federer reveals all as he plays with his first personalised tennis racket at the Laver Cup
Roger Federer confirmed he is still hitting the ball with pristine elegance as he launched his new Wilson RF tennis racket ahead of the Laver Cup in Berlin.
The RF Collection is a revolutionary tennis equipment line inspired, designed and developed in partnership with 20-time Grand Slam-winning legend Federer.
The collection is rooted in legacy, driven by performance and innovated for the future, representing Federer’s profound impact on the sport and his unwavering dedication to excellence.
“It was not an evolution but a revolution in my mind,” said Federer.
“I wanted to go to a lighter frame and make it easier to use and play with. It cuts through the air nicely to keep up the racket head speed, which is key for attacking but also to defend and hit some nice passing shots.
“I really like the frame a lot. This is actually the racket I would have hoped to win Wimbledon with.”
“There are great things we are working on. It’s not just a racket collection. Roger has a genuine interest in the future of tennis. Let’s see what fingerprints he can still leave on the game in the years to come”, said Jason Collins.
With game-changing innovations, iconic design and elevated performance, this racket collection is set to redefine the game. The RF 01 line includes three rackets models, all designed and tested by Federer himself.
The RF 01 PRO: Roger’s personally built racket and the most playable, authentic RF frame ever created; the RF 01: built for the advanced adult player who prefers a standard weight performance frame; and the RF 01 FUTURE: ideal for the advanced next generation player utilizing a lighter frame to develop their game.
Federer spoke at length about the process he went through to create his first RF racket and it is clear that he is excited by what it could offer.
“Having spent my whole career playing with Wilson rackets, I’m excited about the new RF Collection that we’ve created together,” continued Federer.
“I’m honoured that Wilson is continuing my legacy by further innovating the game I love, and I hope the collection inspires the stars of today as much as I was inspired the first time that I picked up a Wilson racket.”
Now Federer has opened up about his new RF Wilson frame, as he gave his army of fans around the world some hints about the process behind the launch in an interview with the Tennis Channel.
“Having the RF logo on the racket shows you that this is very serious for me,” said Federer.
“It’s a big honour for me to have an RF franchise at Wilson. I’ve been with them for so, so long, ever since I played my first tournament at eight years old it was a Wilson racket and I’ve never played another tournament with another, with another brand.
“So for me to carry on the journey together with Wilson, now with my own initials and my brand is incredible.
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“I’ve wanted to work on a new racket in while rehabbing, you know, and for my comeback, we were looking at, what else could we add to to the racket? What could it be? And we were going through all the whole process. And then, of course, my career ended.
“Then my mind had to shift as well. Okay. Well, who cares about me right now? This is about, really purely about a racket, also for, you know, future junior players, other pro players, but also recreational players.
“So I try to blend all my knowledge that I had over the last, whatever, 30 years into this racket.
“I also really wanted to always try a lighter frame because I’ve always been on the spectrum of quite a much a little bit of a heavier frame, which has been more difficult for people to play with.
“So it’s been a great process, and I’m very happy with the end result, to be honest. In case you haven’t seen it yet, here it is.”
Federer went on to give his fans some advice about rackets, as he suggested a regular change may benefit your game at whatever level you play at.
“Well, number one, you go to feel excited about picking up a racket,” he added.
“I would love to see is that maybe, you know, tennis players or tennis fans change rackets a little bit more frequently.
“Usually they play with one racket and then he buys another one, maybe five years or 10 years later. And I feel with shoes, watches or cars or whatever it may be, whatever you’re collecting, you have a tendency to add more to it.
“In tennis, maybe we have done, haven’t done a good enough job to actually explain that if you play too long with a racket, the flex point gets so all over the show.
“So even if you then buy a new racket, the same one, it’s going to feel completely different. It’s going to feel much stiffer. And that’s why I hope that through this story and my racket, you’re gonna feel like, you know what, I actually should buy maybe a racket once a year, twice a year, or every other year.
“There’s so many cool frames out there, rackets that go out and actually test it, put the time into it and have fun with it. You know, like in other sports, maybe you do as well.”
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