The Growing Popularity of the Wilson Blade Series in the WTA
Wilson has been a major provider of high-performance tennis racquets for a number of years, and has continually attracted big-name players to their brand. With new 2018 editions being released for the upcoming season, it will be interesting to see if the balance of power in the world of racquets changes. While all four of Wilson’s main lines are popular, these being the Ultra, Pro Staff, Burn, and Blade, it is the latter of the four that has garnered the most interest within the WTA in the past year. Followed closely by the Ultra, the Blade is Wilson’s most widely used racquet in the women’s circuit.
Simply looking at the WTA Top 100, there are a number of players who use the Wilson Blade 98 (18×20) Countervail. A couple of the more notable names include Jelena Ostapenko and Kiki Bertens.
Jelena Ostapenko Serves Against Serena Williams at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
(Dec. 29, 2017 – Source: Tom Dulat/Getty Images Europe)
The Wilson Blade 104 is famous as Venus and Serena Williams’ racquet of choice. The differences between the 98 and the 104 obviously start with the head size, while the Blade 104 is also longer and has an 18×19 string pattern.
Serena Williams Plays a Backhand Against Jelena Ostapenko at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship
(Dec. 29, 2017 – Source: Tom Dulat/Getty Images Europe)
The Blade Series has always been designed to complement an aggressive game, but this is true now more than ever with the introduction of refined Countervail Technology in the 2018 edition. Essentially, players can expect greater energy in their hits, but with enhanced control and recovery through further minimized vibrations. There is no telling how many players will choose to take advantage of this new technology, but the ones who are already using it seem to be enjoying the results.
