Elise Mertens racquet change 2021?

belgiantennis04 · Apr 29, 2021

Is Elise Mertens playing with a new frame in Istanbul 2021? Doesn't look like her usual Head Speed? Only painted like that.
In Miami 2021 she was playing with a different frame.
Just curious!

!<-_->! · Apr 29, 2021

Looks like a Babolat Pure Aero. Can eve see the yellow coming through at the 10/2 area

2nd Serve Ace · Apr 29, 2021

8 in the main, 16/19. Looks like a 2018 speed to me.

belgiantennis04 · Apr 29, 2021

Seems weird to me she would change frame mid-season?
And why not change to another Head frame?

Automatix · Apr 29, 2021

Most blatantly paintjobed Pure Aero I've seen...
I mean, you have to be blind not to notice that's a Pure Aero... the shaft... the grommets... jeeeeez...

lacoster · Apr 29, 2021

Definitely not a Head frame. It was odd to me that she would even switch from Babolat to Head in the first place, knowing there is nothing in Head's lineup that matches the super high RA's and super powerful Babolat frames she's used to.

fundrazer · Apr 29, 2021

2nd Serve Ace said:
8 in the main, 16/19. Looks like a 2018 speed to me.

Looking at the throat of the racquet says otherwise. Pure Aero if I ever saw one.

Slowtwitcher · Apr 29, 2021

Whoa that's nuts! It's definitely a PA!

Firepandas · Apr 29, 2021

Weird. So I am guessing Head got permission from Babolat to paint the PureAero like a speed and put the stencil on? Very strange.

Automatix · Apr 29, 2021

Firepandas said:
Weird. So I am guessing Head got permission from Babolat to paint the PureAero like a speed and put the stencil on? Very strange.

In this case not necessarily. If the strings are Head she can use that stencil on a Babolat frame. Besides the racquet's paintjob doesn't say Head. It is a copy of the paintjob scheme of a Speed but without company or model name sooooo most likely no case...

Slowtwitcher · Apr 29, 2021

Firepandas said:
Weird. So I am guessing Head got permission from Babolat to paint the PureAero like a speed and put the stencil on? Very strange.

No. Elise's agent is probably getting daily calls from Head.

lacoster · Apr 29, 2021

Firepandas said:
Weird. So I am guessing Head got permission from Babolat to paint the PureAero like a speed and put the stencil on? Very strange.

I think a player will do whatever it takes to make a racquet look like whatever their contract stipulates. It's nothing new, but this one is pretty obvious, like Qiang Wang's Yunlop.

Firepandas · Apr 29, 2021

Interesting. Then why do some players like Rublev completely black out their racquet and have no stencil when using a racquet from a different company, and others just paint over it and pretend nothing is wrong? There has to be some legal issues there. Babolat obviously can't prevent Mertens or whoever from purchasing and using their racquet, but by stenciling and painting it with a Head design/logo is crossing some sort of line, no?

cha cha · Apr 29, 2021

I'm just glad Štěpánek wasn't under a Head contract.
It would have been quite a task painting over that square Bosworth of his.

dr325i · Apr 29, 2021

2nd Serve Ace said:
8 in the main, 16/19. Looks like a 2018 speed to me.

That is NOT Speed mold or Head mold

2nd Serve Ace · Apr 29, 2021

dr325i said:
That is NOT Speed mold or Head mold

Yeah that throat is definitely Bab. Didnt think this cross pj was allowed anymore.

!<-_->! · Apr 29, 2021

2nd Serve Ace said:
8 in the main, 16/19. Looks like a 2018 speed to me.

2nd Serve Ace said:
Yeah that throat is definitely Bab. Didnt think this cross pj was allowed anymore.

that was a quick 180, lol.

2nd Serve Ace · Apr 29, 2021

!<-_->! said:
that was a quick 180, lol.

This happens a lot when 325 corrects me

vsbabolat · Apr 29, 2021

belgiantennis04 said:
Is Elise Mertens playing with a new frame in Istanbul 2021? Doesn't look like her usual Head Speed? Only painted like that.
In Miami 2021 she was playing with a different frame.
Just curious!

Shock and horror!

fed1 · Apr 29, 2021

Interesting as she was a Pure Drive player before the switch to Head.

2nd Serve Ace · Apr 29, 2021

fed1 said:
Interesting as she was a Pure Drive player before the switch to Head.

Im seeing an aero throat, but 8 mains. Not sure what that is.

fed1 · Apr 29, 2021

2nd Serve Ace said:
Im seeing an aero throat, but 8 mains. Not sure what that is.

No I get that, I was just saying in the past she was a Pure Drive player.

dr325i · Apr 29, 2021

vsbabolat said:
Shock and horror!

I hope she gets what Collins should have gotten!

vsbabolat · Apr 29, 2021

dr325i said:
I hope she gets what Collins should have gotten!

At least she’s still using an HEAD overgrip

dr325i · Apr 29, 2021

vsbabolat said:
At least she’s still using an HEAD overgrip

What about dampener?

SinneGOAT · Apr 30, 2021

Look closely and you can kinda see the6 center mains. That yellow and 10/2 is just so obvious.

vsbabolat · Apr 30, 2021

dr325i said:
What about dampener?

Yes, dampener too

haqq777 · Apr 30, 2021

Oh gawd. This belongs in that most blatant pj paint thread as well. That aeromodular throat was the first thing I noticed too.

jmacdaununder2 · Apr 30, 2021

Pure Speed

jmacdaununder2 · Apr 30, 2021

Headolat

ron schaap · May 1, 2021

2nd Serve Ace said:
8 in the main, 16/19. Looks like a 2018 speed to me.

just look at the special throat!

ron schaap · May 1, 2021

Firepandas said:
Interesting. Then why do some players like Rublev completely black out their racquet and have no stencil when using a racquet from a different company, and others just paint over it and pretend nothing is wrong? There has to be some legal issues there. Babolat obviously can't prevent Mertens or whoever from purchasing and using their racquet, but by stenciling and painting it with a Head design/logo is crossing some sort of line, no?

rublev has Head paintjob now.

ron schaap · May 1, 2021

2nd Serve Ace said:
Im seeing an aero throat, but 8 mains. Not sure what that is.

you are to foused on strings. It could jusst as well be a Babolat vs model which has a special aero throat too.

am1899 · May 1, 2021

I’m...not convinced there’s 8 mains in the throat. Looks like only 6 to me? Which, along with 19 crosses, would fit with an Aero mold of some generation.

2nd Serve Ace · May 1, 2021

am1899 said:
I’m...not convinced there’s 8 mains in the throat. Looks like only 6 to me? Which, along with 19 crosses, would fit with an Aero mold of some generation.

Agree. Looking at that slice picture, it does look like 6 main to me.

shoesandko · May 1, 2021

If you enlarge the pic it appears to be 6 in throat, the aero has a very extreme angle in the corners that make it appear to be in the throat when it is not.

hypervox · May 1, 2021

https://tt.tennis-warehouse.com/index.php?threads/elise-mertens-black-babolat-in-hawaii.633557/

https://imgur.com/a/56JwDEc

am1899 · May 1, 2021

FWIW the grommets in the throat look consistent with a later iteration of the PA...either 2016 or 2019.

Given the dead giveaway shape of the Aero throat...the apparent attempt to distract from what’s really going on here - with the speed paint job - is rather interesting and humorous.

belgiantennis04 · May 2, 2021

Looks like she's back to the Head Speed frame in first round Madrid. That's a quick change?

`

Firepandas · May 2, 2021

ron schaap said:
rublev has Head paintjob now.

I know....... but my point is for all of 2020 and even during the AO this year, he had a blacked out racquet.

dr325i · May 2, 2021

Firepandas said:
I know....... but my point is for all of 2020 and even during the AO this year, he had a blacked out racquet.

Rublev had a contract with W until April 1, 2021 and could not use Head PJ or stencil. W & Head were aware of the situation completely.
What Mertens did (I assume by herself) was against the rules. Babolat may be upset, Head may be upset.
But what bimbo Collins did back a few years ago, bluntly switched to Bab while still in the contract with Head, was unacceptable (but I guess Head did not really care)

SinneGOAT · May 2, 2021

Man people seriously can’t go a single thread without mentioning Rublev using a blacked out racquet.

2nd Serve Ace · May 2, 2021

belgiantennis04 said:
Looks like she's back to the Head Speed frame in first round Madrid. That's a quick change?

`

Good grief. Mertens should be on the holic thread!

am1899 · May 2, 2021

belgiantennis04 said:
Looks like she's back to the Head Speed frame in first round Madrid. That's a quick change?

`

Maybe the grass wasn’t greener after all?

I don’t follow her too close, but seems bizarre that she’d be “searching” - with her results the last couple years?

am1899 · May 2, 2021

dr325i said:
But what bimbo Collins did back a few years ago, bluntly switched to Bab while still in the contract with Head, was unacceptable (but I guess Head did not really care)

You said it, what a clown. Good riddance!

fed1 · May 2, 2021

am1899 said:
Maybe the grass wasn’t greener after all?

I don’t follow her too close, but seems bizarre that she’d be “searching” - with her results the last couple years?

Agreed. Her results are always so consistent.

Firepandas · May 2, 2021

SinneGOAT said:
Man people seriously can’t go a single thread without mentioning Rublev using a blacked out racquet.

I mean.... It is a relevant and comparable situation. Player doesn't want to use racquet that they have a contract with, so they use a different one. Rublev had his blacked out, Mertens seems to have gone a different route. Why did one player do one thing and another did something different when in the same situation?

dr325i · May 2, 2021

Firepandas said:
I mean.... It is a relevant and comparable situation. Player doesn't want to use racquet that they have a contract with, so they use a different one. Rublev had his blacked out, Mertens seems to have gone a different route. Why did one player do one thing and another did something different when in the same situation?

I explained it clearly above.
Rublev - agreed with both companies. The agreement was held to the last day, April 1, 2021.
Mertens did a no-no without advising either (head would have the right to go after Babolat had they done it).

vsbabolat · May 3, 2021

Reminds me when Safin started painting his Prestige as then Dunlop MW 200G. That was a whole thing!!!

michael valek · May 3, 2021

Looks like she painted it herself

Elise Mertens racquet change 2021?

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