Big 3 (Wilson/HEAD/Babolat) now firmly a big 4 (Yonex)?

[gino]

Do you think Yonex is firmly in the mix of top racket companies ?

To me the clear answer is yes. They make frames with tight QC, great beam design, cosmetics, clearly segment their racket lines/products and I couldn’t go a single court without seeing a yonex at Indian wells this year. Curious what the general consensus is….

Funny enough I’ve never owned a Yonex despite a big collection of frames. Love the idea of yonex but the head shape doesn’t mesh with my feeling/understanding of a tennis racket

 

[naturalexponent]

Yes! Insane representation in the pro ranks, including ATP now (only mentioning this because people used to be weird about Yonex being a women’s racquet), and I see so many ezones in rec tennis, when it used to seem impossible to find Yonexes in the wild unless you knew people who were really into gear.

@gino if you want to long-term demo some Yonexes, just lmk and happy to lend you some! The 2021 VC95 was a pretty standard frame shape but that was short-lived haha.

 

[bobeeto]

I think yonex made a very wise choice to sponsor players super early on in their careers. The rackets were always top notch, but they finally got the cream to rise to the top. Genius brandography, while being very unique and cool.

I love them forever

 

[Rosstour]

My stringer swears by them. I can't abandon the W though

 

[jxs653]

Hmm the build quality seems dubious (the first incidence) while praised by many...

 

[Crocodile]

Yes Yonex is definitely part of the big 4. I guess the next question is whether people are prepared to nominate Tecnifibre as number 5 in the next tier ?
Number 6 is a little harder, is it Dunlop ? And which of the smaller brands are possible improvers and which are declining. At present I’m starting to worry about Volkl’s presence in various countries. Personally I like Pro Kennex and Prince, but their business activity in Australia is not so good.

 

[Crocodile]

From a racquet industry point of view I do like to see the smaller brands do well. Sometimes it’s the smaller brands that have very interesting product of good quality. Having a lot of brands doing well is great for both customers and retailers,

 

[A_Instead]

Yonex are good... think they will ever release a non isometric head shaped racket?
Could get more market segment of those who never gelled with the isometric head shaped..

 

[jxs653]

Yonex are good... think they will ever release a non isometric head shaped racket?
Could get more market segment of those who never gelled with the isometric head shaped..

No.. it's their defining character. It'd be like losing their identity.

 

[Dragy]

Yonex is definitely big and rightfully so. Dunno, I somehow moved to Head and settled in. Played with DR98s for couple of years, but left them behind. Wilson - went with Ultra Tours, think I missed something by not trying blades.

Babolat - played with APD+ at some point, but don’t look back to them.

Head just has something to their frames I liked by trying. First was IG Radical MP, then after some wandering Gravity Pro and Speed Pro. Now playing my best tennis with G Pro and growing into loving the feel.

 

[GodlessEndeavor]

Yonex deserves success for being such a unique brand:

- unique head shape, proving that it's possible to innovate in tennis.

- making racquets in Japan instead of outsourcing them like everyone else.

- the best QC, meaning that when I read a review of a Yonex racquet and then buy one, I'm very likely to experience the characteristics mentioned by the reviewers.

 

[mavsman149]

Yonex is huge now, I’d actually put them ahead of Head in my area. They’re everywhere now. Everyone has a Wilson, Babolat or Yonex.

 

[gino]

34 to 1 at this point, think the poll says it all hah!

 

[KC!]

We had college tennis tournament at our club earlier in the year. Yonex was definitely the most prevalent racquet in the building. The Ezone & the VCORE are definitely becoming a favorite in tennis. I’ll go a step further & say they have taken over the Blade’s dominance that you use to see.

 

[Seth]

We had college tennis tournament at our club earlier in the year. Yonex was definitely the most prevalent racquet in the building. The Ezone & the VCORE are definitely becoming a favorite in tennis. I’ll go a step further & say they have taken over the Blade’s dominance that you use to see.

I went to a USTA/ITA tournament last weekend. Plenty of VCore 98 and Ezone 98 sticks. During FSU’s regular season, it seemed like every opposing team had at least one Yonex user.

 

[Bhagi Katbamna]

No.. it's their defining character. It'd be like losing their identity.

They did make round aluminum rackets in the past and the Yonex R-33 was a round graphite racket.

 

[Bartelby]

Yonex are good... think they will ever release a non isometric head shaped racket?
Could get more market segment of those who never gelled with the isometric head shaped..

Some of their lines do not have such a predominant isometric shape, whereas the new vcore does quite clearly.

 

[SupahMan5000]

Some of their lines do not have such a predominant isometric shape, whereas the new vcore does quite clearly.

If we’re being pedantic the Vcore is the least isometric. Isometric is supposed to be equal dimensions so the Percept and Ezone are quite symmetrically rectangular. The Vcore isnt very rectangular

 

[ichaseballs]

Definitely seeing a lot of juniors with yonex frames.
Only means yonex has a bright future in tennis!

 

[ichaseballs]

Yonex are good... think they will ever release a non isometric head shaped racket?
Could get more market segment of those who never gelled with the isometric head shaped..

they just play around with how square vs oval

 

[gino]

Yes! Insane representation in the pro ranks, including ATP now (only mentioning this because people used to be weird about Yonex being a women’s racquet), and I see so many ezones in rec tennis, when it used to seem impossible to find Yonexes in the wild unless you knew people who were really into gear.

@gino if you want to long-term demo some Yonexes, just lmk and happy to lend you some! The 2021 VC95 was a pretty standard frame shape but that was short-lived haha.

I did go back and look at the 21' VC95 head shape, pretty circular upper hoop relative to everything else they offer

I'm intrigued, although stopped competing/playing much with 95 sq inch a few years back as you know... still intrigued

btw for anyone counting, vote at 50-1 right now. Bless that one contrarian

 

[gino]

Hmm the build quality seems dubious (the first incidence) while praised by many...

lol i've seen a few babolats snap at the cortex and a bab snap at the pallet like this one. funny when it happens to these pros

hilarious stuff, but tbh, I hear so much great stuff about yonex that feels like an anomaly

 

[gino]

I went to a USTA/ITA tournament last weekend. Plenty of VCore 98 and Ezone 98 sticks. During FSU’s regular season, it seemed like every opposing team had at least one Yonex user.

I do wonder if it's a product of sponsorship marketing efforts or truly a desire for these high caliber players to use the brand. time will tell i suppose

Yonex deserves success for being such a unique brand:

- unique head shape, proving that it's possible to innovate in tennis.

- making racquets in Japan instead of outsourcing them like everyone else.

- the best QC, meaning that when I read a review of a Yonex racquet and then buy one, I'm very likely to experience the characteristics mentioned by the reviewers.

I like this summary of their strengths, to me they are typified by these tenets (head shape, Japanese roots/loyalty, QC)

 

[gino]

lol i've seen a few babolats snap at the cortex and a bab snap at the pallet like this one. funny when it happens to these pros

hilarious stuff, but tbh, I hear so much great stuff about yonex that feels like an anomaly

this tsitsishank snapped a kblade in v7 paint clean in half LOL

 

[jxs653]

lol i've seen a few babolats snap at the cortex and a bab snap at the pallet like this one. funny when it happens to these pros

hilarious stuff, but tbh, I hear so much great stuff about yonex that feels like an anomaly

The Yonex hit the ground at least. But the Babolat didn't even seem to touch the ball. Amazing.

 

[kblades]

I’d say yes based on how many Yonex frames I’m seeing at local junior events. However, I think people give them too much credit for their QC. Yes, their static weights and balance are generally close and much better than the competition, but from my experience there is just as much variance in swingweight.

 

[kkm]

Big 5 - Tecnifibre

I’d say yes based on how many Yonex frames I’m seeing at local junior events. However, I think people give them too much credit for their QC. Yes, their static weights and balance are generally close and much better than the competition, but from my experience there is just as much variance in swingweight.

Amen, thank you for calling out the swingweight! Almost no one seems to understand that getting weight and balance within “tolerance” at the factory is quick and easy but none of the brands take care of swingweight at the factory.

 

[kabrac]

Yonex has definitely been catching on the last 8 or so years. The craze that was Babolat, is now Yonex and Head....followed by Babolat still. Not that all other companies are doing wrong. It's just a "new wave" and they've got alot of good players signed.

Think the last really good Babolats were the 2013 batch, then they started taking a definite turn. I do like how they keep their racquet lines simple and I think that's part of the reason Wilson and Head haven't done as good as they could. Too many racquet lines with those two brands...

Tecnifibre and Solinco are catching on slowly. Dunlop is niche. Prince and Volkl are sleepers(as in they have some really good offerings, but they are overlooked because they maybe aren't what everyone is using). Personally I could care less what people are using, unless I own a tennis shop. I think then I could pretend to somewhat care. I'd still sell only what I liked though lol

 

[mad dog1]

I’d say yes based on how many Yonex frames I’m seeing at local junior events. However, I think people give them too much credit for their QC. Yes, their static weights and balance are generally close and much better than the competition, but from my experience there is just as much variance in swingweight.

I got a pair of 2021 VCore 100s and a pair of 2022 Ezone 100s and saw a >10 pt swingweight difference in each pair. The two VCores played nothing alike. Neither did the Ezones.

 

[Flair328]

I went from Head to Babolat to Yonex in 2016.....and yes I was one of those who bought into the Bab craze even though I played better with the equivalent Prince model at the time. Wouldn't be switching either as their heads are getting less and less isometric with each generation model.

 

[vsbabolat]

Yonex are good... think they will ever release a non isometric head shaped racket?
Could get more market segment of those who never gelled with the isometric head shaped..

They have in the mid 80’s it was called the RX series, they sold the RX-32 and RX-37 in the USA.

 

[brentzki]

I got a pair of 2021 VCore 100s and a pair of 2022 Ezone 100s and saw a >10 pt swingweight difference in each pair. The two VCores played nothing alike. Neither did the Ezones.

Yeah I’m in the process of trying to find a new EZone 98 but the current batch from factory are all around 305-309 swingweight strung (10-14 points below what they ‘should’ be)

 

[mad dog1]

Yeah I’m in the process of trying to find a new EZone 98 but the current batch from factory are all around 305-309 swingweight strung (10-14 points below what they ‘should’ be)

Lower is easier to deal with than when they come in higher than the desired swingweight.

 

[VS_Power]

Yonex is the real deal. I was at a challenger event this week with lots of players 22yo or younger and I saw more Yonex rackets than anything else (Wilson was close behind, all Blades).

In the past Yonex shape seemed gimmicky (I would never use one) but now it is much more accepted. Heck I've moved to Yonex myself.

My local shop is pro Yonex as well, saying they make the best stuff these days, with Head having too confusing of a lineup.

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

I do wonder if it's a product of sponsorship marketing efforts or truly a desire for these high caliber players to use the brand. time will tell i suppose

I like this summary of their strengths, to me they are typified by these tenets (head shape, Japanese roots/loyalty, QC)

It's the playability of the rackets, not the sponsorship really. VC98 and Ezone98 are dominating NCAA tennis teams, second only to the Pure Aero and Blade. If you combined the 2 popular Yonex though they might be the top college tennis racket. (not sponsored).

I’d say yes based on how many Yonex frames I’m seeing at local junior events. However, I think people give them too much credit for their QC. Yes, their static weights and balance are generally close and much better than the competition, but from my experience there is just as much variance in swingweight.

Small sample size, but I've had 4 different Yonex types matched by TW in the past 4 years, each time the 6 rackets I could choose 2 from had SW variance of 2 max. I once received a Spped Pro with a 7 SW off spec lol and 3 points off on the head balance.

SYonex is the real deal. I was at a challenger event this week with lots of players 22yo or younger and I saw more Yonex rackets than anything else (Wilson was close behind, all Blades).

In the past Yonex shape seemed gimmicky (I would never use one) but now it is much more accepted. Heck I've moved to Yonex myself.

My local shop is pro Yonex as well, saying they make the best stuff these days, with Head having too confusing of a lineup.

Yeah, there was that video about top rackets in the college game, VC98 and EZone both made the top 5

 

[TagUrIt]

No question Yonex is one of the major competitors in the tennis racquet market. Lots of top ATP/WTA players are using Yonex. Marketa Vondrusova and Elena Rybakina both won Wimbledon and they both use VCores, there will definitely be more to come.

 

[fed1]

No question Yonex is one of the major competitors in the tennis racquet market. Lots of top ATP/WTA players are using Yonex. Marketa Vondrusova and Elena Rybakina both won Wimbledon and they both use VCores, there will definitely be more to come.

Vondrusova is using an Ezone.

 

[brentzki]

Lower is easier to deal with than when they come in higher than the desired swingweight.

Sure, but 10-14 SW points off other batches is pretty extreme given the reputation Yonex has for QC.

 

[gino]

Is the last male singles yonex major winner before stan hewitt?

 

[gino]

kinda weird such a crazy Yonex rise and only 4 majors since 2002 on the mens side

 

[FuzzyYellowBalls]

kinda weird such a crazy Yonex rise and only 4 majors since 2002 on the mens side

Not too crazy, you can't even buy Novak's stick if you wanted to or if any pro wanted to. Make a good racket, people will use it.

 

[gino]

Not too crazy, you can't even buy Novak's stick if you wanted to or if any pro wanted to. Make a good racket, people will use it.

i guess my point is they've invested a ton in pro players in the past 5 years, you'd think there would be some deep slam runs, i guess tiafoe/paul would like a word. Both SFs in the past 12 mo

 

[SupahMan5000]

i guess my point is they've invested a ton in pro players in the past 5 years, you'd think there would be some deep slam runs, i guess tiafoe/paul would like a word. Both SFs in the past 12 mo

Ruud had a very tangible chance at becoming the latest Yonex slam winner

I genuinely think if he had a little more gall and played with some more conviction that match he couldve entered a 5th set in which the match could go either way imo

 

[gino]

Ruud had a very tangible chance at becoming the latest Yonex slam winner

I genuinely think if he had a little more gall and played with some more conviction that match he couldve entered a 5th set in which the match could go either way imo

great shout, totally forgot about him. he's due for at least 2 majors over the next 10 years

 

[SupahMan5000]

great shout, totally forgot about him. he's due for at least 2 majors over the next 10 years

tbh Alcaraz normally would've taken a player like Ruud out a little faster but he was visibly fatigued and Ruud did not take advantage of that enough

that Sinner/Alcaraz match two days prior to the final looked brutal on the body

 

[naturalexponent]

kinda weird such a crazy Yonex rise and only 4 majors since 2002 on the mens side

Fits with the numbers given the big 3 won 65 majors in the last 20 years!

 

[naturalexponent]

A good number of Yonex wins on the WTA side though as some have pointed out.

 

[gino]

Fits with the numbers given the big 3 won 65 majors in the last 20 years!

Totally. Wilson/HEAD/Babolat very lucky... Hewitt, Nalbandian, and other Yonex guys blocked out by these legends

tbh Alcaraz normally would've taken a player like Ruud out a little faster but he was visibly fatigued and Ruud did not take advantage of that enough

that Sinner/Alcaraz match two days prior to the final looked brutal on the body

agreed here. Ruud had a legit shot to capitalize on that fatigue but regardless he's too good of a clay court/slow hard court to not win a FO or USO at some point

Would think he has a very Guga-esque career, couple IW runs given how slow that HC is

 

[SupahMan5000]

Totally. Wilson/HEAD/Babolat very lucky... Hewitt, Nalbandian, and other Yonex guys blocked out by these legends



agreed here. Ruud had a legit shot to capitalize on that fatigue but regardless he's too good of a clay court/slow hard court to not win a FO or USO at some point

Would think he has a very Guga-esque career, couple IW runs given how slow that HC is

somehow Tecnifibre infiltrated

 

[gino]

somehow Tecnifibre infiltrated

lol was talking to my local tennis store owner about TF. Said the craze was short lived, even with Swiatek dominating, she's not so marketable to young ladies/men. I think more kids want the Boom than TF stuff based on his feedback

but hey, cool to see a random company luck out like they did with Med USO 21'