It’s very hard for a top fallen brand to come back and get back to the top.

[Crocodile]

Many of the top brands that either declined seriously or stopped making racquets and then decided to come back have found it difficult to do so. The market just moves on and the top 5 are pretty hard to displace. Maybe they would aim to at least be a top 10 brand but is that viable enough ? Can you become a low volume boutique brand or do you need to make volume ?
Prince and Pro Kennex most come to mind and I think their racquets are very good. Prince racquets have a great feel to them and PK racquets are excellent for your arm. Donnay, Snauwert and Dunlop are having a go and maybe Dunlop with their new sponsored players might climb again. Volkl i am not sure where they are right now, they seem to be in limbo. Maybe they are deciding where they want to go in the future. Lacoste’s partnership with Tecnifibre is any interesting one, they have released 2 frames. Would you buy a Lacoste if they offered a more serious player stick ?
What do you think? Can brands like PK and Prince rise back into the top group of brands. What do they need to do or do you think that relative new brands like Diadem, Solinco, Artengo and Furi are more likely to capture the people’s attention. Would Nike or Apple making tennis racquets be off interest to racquet brands and should brands like Adidas, Puma and Kneissl, Yamaha, Mizuno Kawasaki and Rossignol have another go ?

 

[ollinger]

They might have a shot --- making pickleball equipment

 

[Crocodile]

They might have a shot --- making pickleball equipment

Ok that’s interesting.

 

[A_Instead]

I doubt even in Pickleball...
Not really much tech there for innovation..
So many companies offer PB paddles..it's saturated with mostly garbage..not much capital needed to offer a PB paddles..

 

[PistolPete23]

The key was always to invest in promising juniors. Look at Yonex. Who would have thought 20 years ago that Yonex would be a top brand amongst ATP pros?

 

[tata]

They could try signing on local clubs to sell and endorse their product. Get some sponsored coaches to coach kids and stuff. They just need some sort of a representation at the very least. I did notice more Dunlops at AO and I think being the official ball sponsor helped get the brand name out there again. I started to see Prince appear in rebel sport in Australia again, which is a good sign. Most seriously players or buyers know to buy their gear from tennis specialist stores rather than general sport stores so it looks like the big brands are recognising this and not pushing as hard in general sport stores. I haven't seen a yonex racquet in a general sport store, only at proper tennis stores.

 

[PistolPete23]

I doubt even in Pickleball...
Not really much tech there for innovation..
So many companies offer PB paddles..it's saturated with mostly garbage..not much capital needed to offer a PB paddles..

To be fair, there's not much innovative tech in tennis either. It's at least 90% marketing. For PB paddles, you just need to follow the same formula - new carbon fiber weave, larger sweetspot, more power, more control, more spin, more aerodynamic!!!

 

[PistolPete23]

Just read this marketing. $189 for a paddle to hit a hollow plastic ball, and they sell like hot cakes!

The all new Gravity model comes with a massive sweetspot combining power and comfort in a crazy flip design. The paddle combines Head's latest technologies that work together for an ultimate paddle experience. The Hybrid Hitting Surface provides a truly superior blend of power, comfort, control and stability, while its HEAD's Sweetspot Power Core takes care of the unique soft and powerful impact feel. With its Extreme 3D Spin and Handle Stabilizer Technology, the premium Gravity model is perfect for power players.

 

[gold325]

 

[Crocodile]

Would a range of Nike tennis racquets with player sponsorship have an impact on the tennis equipment market ? I think it would. I think the time is right, for other brands to have a go.

 

[Bartelby]

A tennis racquet is not really the domain of an apparel and footwear company, Germaine. The price of racquets has also gone through the roof so new entrants would be burnt.

 

[NicoMK]

At some point, Rossignol had made rackets again... Padel rackets! Typing these words, I checked their website... only to notice that they were out of production... again lol.

 

[aus89]

If someone was to enter they would need to lure away big multiple big pros and start getting the racquets in the hands of juniors - unless they're willing to play the long game... which... they aren't.

 

[toby55555]

Maybe Ashaway could have a go as they are quite big in squash and tennis strings.

 

[ollinger]

Is there a need that isn't being met by the enormous number of racquet models available now? I don't think so. Are brick-and-mortar retail stores looking to devote more space to other lines of racquets? Quite the opposite. More indoor tennis facilities in the suburban NYC area where I live have closed recently (turned into indoor soccer and lacrosse facilities, and in one case a warehouse) while many outdoor public courts are turned into pickleball courts. Tennis is a contracting sport, or at least one with minimal if any growth, hardly an auspicious time for manufacturers to get in the game.