US Open 2022: How many rackets do professional tennis players use in a single match?
Professional tennis players get a lot of perks with their sponsorships. One of those is unlimited access to rackets, but how many do they need?
If you have ever played tennis in any serious capacity, you know that it is not one of the most inexpensive sports. Most of the time there are either court fees or membership fees that give you access knock the ball around. Then you have to pay for the racket, unless you are a pro who has rackets provided by their sponsors.
No limit to rackets on court
It’s every tennis player’s dream. An unlimited supply of $200-$300 rackets, but you have to get to professional status to start getting your rackets paid for. And when that happens, the pros have no problem bringing not just a handful of them on court, but a whole suitcase full of them.
Well it may not be your typical suit case you see being dragged through the airport on a gimpy wheel. The top tennis players in the world have their sponsors send them bags that will allow them to bring the appropriate amount of rackets to each match.
There is no exact amount of rackets players take to the court, nor is there a limit to the number of rackets a player can use. The bags however can range anywhere from three pack bags, to 12 pack bags although the standard is a six pack bag.
Rackets in bag depend on conditions and opponent
Most pros bring the six pack bag courtside and have their preferred racket and five others. Maybe a back up or two for of that same racket they are using at the beginning of the match, in case the strings break.
They will generally have a racket with tighter and looser strings than their normal racket. Oftentimes a player will change to a tighter racket when there is a change of balls, as the tighter strings provide more control. The looser strings give more speed off the racket, but with more speed comes less control. There can also be a variation of grips on the rackets they take to court.
Players don’t usually go changing from racket to racket throughout a game. Many pros are creatures of habit, and their racket is their racket.
Baghdatis may have needed a few more
There is however the occasional rush of blood to the head where someone takes their frustration out on a racket, or four, as Marcos Baghdatis did at the Australian Open a decade ago.
The amount of rackets used by a particular player depends on the player and depends on the circumstances.
ESPN’s Darren Rovel interviewed Roger Federer’s racket stringer, Nate Ferguson. Ferguson owns his own racket stringing service and has been the Swiss maestro’s main man since 2004.
Fed express with his rackets too
Ferguson accompanies Federer during all four Grand Slams and the eight other biggest tournaments of his season. He and his parter Ron Yu string 10 rackets in preparation for Federer’s first round match in a Grand Slam.
Federer’s rackets are said to last about 10 games. So depending on the match, he could be using up to five or six of those rackets.