We Tested Every Male Legend's Tennis Racket

Summary

Andy and Jamie Murray tested five tennis legends’ rackets by hitting forehands, backhands, and serves, then rating each racket out of 10. Novak Djokovic’s racket was absent because Andy couldn’t find the one he had at home, so the test went ahead without it. No event timestamps were provided.

Rackets tested

• John McEnroe — Dunlop Max 200G: The first racket felt heavy and stiff, with a small head and a leather grip. The Murrays found that clean contact produced satisfying, powerful shots, but mishits were difficult to control. The strings also moved noticeably. Ratings: 9 and 8 out of 10.

• Andre Agassi — Head Radical: Its much larger head made it feel very different from McEnroe’s racket. The testers struggled with consistency and found it uncomfortable on the arm, though one said the setup worked especially well for Agassi-style backhands. Ratings: 7 and 2 out of 10.

• Pete Sampras — Wilson Pro Staff 85: Sampras’s racket had a very small head and exceptionally tight strings, reportedly strung at 70 pounds. It produced some fast serves, reaching 117 mph, and felt good on clean contact, but the testers had trouble finding targets. Ratings: 8 and 7 out of 10.

• Roger Federer — Wilson Pro Staff RF97: The larger, 97-square-inch head and hybrid natural-gut/Luxilon strings made it feel more familiar and controllable. Serves reached 118 mph, the fastest of the test at that point, and the Murrays praised its all-around feel. Ratings: 9 and 9.5 out of 10.

• Rafael Nadal — Babolat Pure Aero: The thicker, more aerodynamic frame was designed to help generate spin. One tester’s serve reached 120 mph, the fastest recorded, and the racket produced notably heavy topspin, especially on backhands. The testers found it less suited to flat hitting but effective when they played with spin. Ratings: 7 and 9 out of 10.

Overall favorite

Federer’s Wilson was the overall favorite. One tester chose it as the racket he would personally play with, and it received the highest rating in the test: 9.5 out of 10.

Presenters: Andy Murray and Jamie Murray.