There is a new Wilson spin racquet in the hands of many pro players on the tour right now. Pre-season means testing and we might see even more switches going forward.
The working name for the new Wilson spin racquet is “Python”, a name giving throwback vibes to the Wilson Kobra racquets from 2009. The throat design is similar but for some reason, the Kobra was quickly discontinued. Since a large chunk of the pro tour is going towards spin racquets, we think the Python will stay.
These are some players I’ve seen testing the Wilson Spin racquet, let’s call it the Wilson Python for now: David Goffin, Sebastian Korda, Karen Khachanov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Thiago Seyboth Wild, Grigor Dimitrov, Lorenzo Sonego and Colton Smith. There are probably many more, but that is still a significant list. Khachanov and Korda already seems to have made the switch, while a guy like Dimitrov has been seen with various new racquets during pre-season.
We will know when the season starts properly if someone is going to stick with it and take it out into official matches.
How does it play?
I have been fortunate to try two variations of the new Wilson spin racquet, and it has been a positive experience overall. It is not as explosive as the Babolat Pure Aero 98 2023 edition and has a more controlled launch angle. Sure, you might not create the same kind of chaos for your opponent, but on the positive side is that you might be able to hit your spots more confidently.
I think the racquet provides an easier transition for Blade players since it is not as “wild” as the Aero, but still provides a decent spin and launch.
It is important to note that I have only tried it in a heavier spec made for a top player, not the retail edition. I have not tried it in a light spec, so maybe then it will be more unstable or have less power. Time will tell. But in a beefed-up pro spec, it played very nicely.
When will it be released?
Since this racquet is not going to be out until summer (July is what I heard), I cannot really say anything more than that. If you are a Wilson player, there is for sure a reason to be excited about it. I think it will have a much larger impact and fan base than the Wilson Shift, for example.
If you have tried the new Wilson spin racquet, the Python or Redline or whatever it will be called, please comment below!
The image is from Tennishooolic on Instagram.