From its humble beginnings back in 1913, Wilson has turned into one of the best sports brands in the world. This holds true with its tennis racquets. Need proof? There are a massive number of pros on the WTA tour that use a Wilson stick – and several of them are ranked among the game’s best.
Here are five top players that are gaining an edge with Wilson racquets.
No. 2 Petra Kvitova
The current world No. 2 could be defined as a jack-of-all-trades. She can hit every shot and use any style to gain a competitive advantage with her Wilson racquet. Her arsenal is endless and transferable to all surfaces throughout the season. A key aspect to the 29-year-old’s game is exploiting her opponent’s weaknesses with her vicious lefty groundstrokes.
The 2012 Rogers Cup champion is resilient both on and off the court. Back in 2017, she returned to the tour after suffering serious hand injuries following a knife attack in her own home at the end of 2016.
Professionals told Kvitova that she had 10% chance of playing at an elite level again.
ICYMI: Petra Kvitova finds a way with this impressive lob for the @cpaaustralia Shot of the Day. pic.twitter.com/WqKoBXMm7T
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 16, 2019
Over two years later, she’s back at the top of the WTA scene. The Czech is the only women on the tour to capture two WTA titles so far in 2019. In addition, she’s finished runner-up in two other finals, one of which was the Australian Open.
Thanks her consistent and well-rounded play, she holds a sizable lead in the Porsche Race to Shenzhen, the season-ending championship that is considered the crown jewel of the WTA season.
No. 3 Simona Halep
Simona Halep continues to be one of the most consistent forces in women’s tennis. She’s been outside the top five for only eight weeks since March 3rd, of 2014. The World No. 3 is great defensively and relies on magnificent ball anticipation to counterpunch. Through and through, she’s an aggressive baseliner that hits with surprising power off her serve and covers the court extremely well.
The Romanian is one of those players that fights and claws her way out of tough situations, such as in the 2018 Roland-Garros final. Where she took down Sloane Stephens after dropping the first set to claim her first Grand Slam.
The 27-year-old has found a ton of success at the Rogers Cup recently. In the last four tournaments, she’s made the final three times, capturing the title on two occasions in 2016 and 2018. If history tells us anything, the Wilson-wielding defending champion will once again be in the running for another title when the WTA returns to Toronto, August 3rd to 11th.
No. 6 Elina Svitolina
Like Halep, Elina Svitolina is one of the game’s foremost defensive players with a complete baseline game. What makes the Ukrainian so lethal is the way she turns defence into offence so quickly courtesy of great movement and ability to hit with pin-point accuracy on the run. She’s dangerous at any point during a rally, no matter the circumstances.
.@ElinaSvitolina picks up Shot of the Day on her first match of the season on clay at @PorscheTennis! pic.twitter.com/couVpUpAvx
— wta (@WTA) April 26, 2018
The World No. 6’s groundstrokes are consistent on both sides thanks to her Wilson Burn 100 CV, but her backhand is the stronger side of the two, with the 24-year-old’s favourite shot being her backhand down the line. She still has plenty room to grow, which is a tantalizing prospect considering how good she already is.
Svitolina, who won the Rogers Cup back in 2017 with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Caroline Wozniacki, is still searching for her first career Grand Slam. The process of overcoming challenges is what drives Svitolina on a daily basis, meaning she’s well on her way to claiming that elusive Slam sooner rather than later.
No. 10 Aryna Sabalenka
One of the newest faces to the top of the women’s game is Aryna Sabalenka. She’s a vicious player that relies on her powerful serves and heavy forehands to get the better of opponents. At only 20 years old, she’s already garnished a reputation as one of the game’s greatest prospect with an aggressive baseliner style. Her natural power is relatable to fellow Wilson-user Serena Williams at times.
Her growth and maturity is already reflecting in her all-around game. It’s evident in both singles and doubles. She has already cracked the Top 10 in 2019, plus has claimed two doubles titles with partner Elise Mertens at Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Let’s play three!@SabalenkaA powers her way to a 6-2 second set #CoupeRogers pic.twitter.com/0g6ZqFJHCb
— wta (@WTA) August 9, 2018
Sabalenka started to make a name for herself in the latter half of 2018. In her first Rogers Cup appearance last year, she advanced to the third round by upsetting world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki in a tight three-set thriller.
The Belarusian is continually adding more tools to her toolbox. Considering how much potential she still can unlock, don’t be surprise if Sabalenka’s name continues to come up.
No. 11 Serena Williams
Pure power and absolute dominance encompasses Serena Williams’ career in a nut shell. She has the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era – 23 in total – in addition to 14 doubles and two in mixed doubles titles. The 37-year-old is arguably the most dominant force in sports history.
.@SerenaWilliams showcased her vintage ballstriking before cementing the backhand down-the-line! pic.twitter.com/o3TyiPRnJJ
— wta (@WTA) March 9, 2018
The ostensible Greatest of All Team (G.O.A.T.) possesses a rare mix of speed and power. The American dictates the pace in most of her matchups and gains immediate control of rallies right from the get-go, especially when serving. Whether it be forehands or backhands, the three-time Rogers Cup champion’s thunderous Wilson groundstrokes overwhelm opponents to the point of submission.
Serena captured her first title at the age of 17 in 1999. Now, 18 years later, she’s still a massive favourite to win any event – including Rogers Cup this summer in Toronto.
The #racketrevolution is here! Wilson set out to make a racket that would make current racket designs obsolete – a bold goal. The Wilson Clash family of rackets combines the softness of a wood racket with the stability of a graphite racket resulting in a combination of feel and control that no other racket has ever provided. The dwell time or sense of ball pocketing is immediate. Wilson has created a racket that is twice as flexible as any racket in the marketplace but with no loss of power or stability. The result is “confidence” to swing out and the player knows where the ball is going to go. The Clash is available in several variations – Clash 100 and Clash 100 Tour, Clash 100L, Clash 98, Clash 108 and Clash 26/25 for juniors.
Feature Photo: Arturo Velazquez
