Even as Andy Murray reckoned with a devastating setback in what will likely be the final months of his career, he still thought with total clarity. In the wake of a serious ankle injury at the Miami Open in March that left him facing a significant layoff, Murray sensed an opportunity.
Before returning home from Florida, the 37-year-old limped to a sporting goods store and rummaged through his stash of rackets. He left with a ridiculous loot; 10 frames, scales, a swingweight machine and a roll of lead tape to help adjust their weight.
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During his six weeks out of competition, Murray worked through the rackets, tinkering and testing which specs were best. Ultimately, he contacted Yonex to work with their racket professionals.
Arriving in Bordeaux for his first day of training ahead of last week’s ATP Challenger event, Murray caused a stir in planet tennis by taking on a Yonex Ezone 100. “It was something to do when I got injured,” he said.
“I have tried many different rackets. I tested them with Hawk-Eye when I could and I loved the Yonex. I am very happy to use the racket and I think it will help me as long as I play.”
Over time, top players become closely tied to the manufacturers they support. Murray had used Head rackets throughout his career and was essentially the face of the Head Radical range. For some, seeing Murray with a Yonex is akin to Harry Kane randomly showing up at Stamford Bridge as a Chelsea player.
When other players heard of Murray’s move, their reactions of shock were comical. Stefanos Tsitsipas was so surprised that he needed some time to process the news. Taylor Fritz had to hear it twice. Tommy Paul, who supports Yonex, said: “Wow, that’s crazy,” before staring silently into space. “I mean, that’s great.”
This took a long time. In the second half of 2021, Murray started looking at a different Head racket and tried a few frames before returning to his trusty old weapon. Then and now, Murray has used electronic line calling systems, which provide players with data on pace, spin and more to choose his racket. It’s a reflection of Murray’s attention to detail that his decisions are based on data rather than feelings.
This time he was determined to see how the newer technology would suit his game: “I’ve been playing with the same racket for 20 years and in that time things change,” he said. “The game has also changed. I’ve also been using the same string all this time.
Switching to another brand would have been a shock, but this is also notable because of how much the two rackets differ. Murray’s new modified Yonex Ezone 100 is much livelier than his Head PT57A with a larger and differently shaped head. He may be hoping to inject more power into his game at a time when his movement and defensive capabilities have declined.
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A racket can feel like an extension of a player’s arm and as such they become sensitive to even the slightest changes in it. Cameron Norrie has been using the same type since he was 12 years old. Some players periodically conduct blind tests with numerous racquets: “I line up, line up all the racquets the same way, and pick which one I like,” says Coco Gauff. “I did that two years ago. In the end I chose the racket I was already using. I did not know [it was my one]. That shows that I am happy where I am now.”
Fritz plays with an extremely light stick. In his late teens he decided to add a tiny bit of weight, five grams: “Then I had the worst year I’ve ever had,” he says, laughing. “I hated it. I went back.
“Who knows what [the problem] could be. You change rackets, one stroke feels better, one stroke probably feels worse. I’m happy with how everything feels to me, so I’ve never been one to really tinker with it.”
In late 2022, a breakthrough season that saw him climb into the top 30 for the first time, Paul, now ranked 14, switched from Wilson to a Yonex VCORE 98. In January, he reached a grand slam semifinal for the first time at the Australian Open . “It was all the noise, it wasn’t me,” he says, laughing.
Many do not adapt so easily. It often takes time to get used to the nuances of a new frame and to be able to hit the ball freely under intense pressure. There may even be a period of discomfort.
“If you break that pattern and do certain things differently, you ruin your rhythm,” says Tsitsipas. “It ruins your flow. It makes you think. Once you start thinking a lot, it becomes a problem because you can no longer concentrate on what is happening in front of you.”
That may be an acceptable trade-off for a player if he has long-term growth in mind, but Murray’s pursuit of Grand Slam titles has likely made him more resistant to drastic change. Now, not only has he changed midway through the season, but in what he said will likely be the last few months of his career. It could also be an indication that he hopes to find reasons to continue playing.
While many professionals say they would consider a change, few would do so mid-season. Iga Swiatek had thought about testing new rackets after the 2023 season, but even that risk was too great. Tsitsipas says he has made minimal changes to his specifications over the years: “It has served me relatively well.
“Maybe by the end of the year I’ll be a bit more open to it. We will see. These are the times when you try things out and experiment with a few changes, but certainly not during the season. This is something I wouldn’t be too open-minded to try.”
After twenty years of clinging to the same frame, Murray was finally brave enough to change. It’s an extremely daring and unusual move, but it’s perhaps another glimpse of the drive that still possesses this transcendent talent, one who is still so passionate about his craft and so determined to improve. The question is whether he will.