zettavaska
Rookie
Anyone know what is coming out?
Last edited by a moderator:
Wilson x RF Aug 8, 2024
- Thread starter zettavaska
- Start date
paul_tennis
Rookie
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
Watch them sell like hot cakes. That logo is the closest thing a tennis brand will ever come to the Jordan Jumpman. It’s an icon. Roger’s really focused on pushing his personal brand now. Nike messed up big time letting him go. They could have continued making signature products for him that would have sold very well globally.
Purestriker
Legend
Not so sure about that and he wanted way too much.
It's not, sorry.
280g I believe is the Future, not 290.
It is not gloss.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
Nike is still making hundreds of millions per year on Jordan shoes. Tennis is a much smaller market, but I believe Roger could have been the first tennis athlete to persist a personal brand that sells very well past his playing days. Even the former director of Nike tennis thought they messed up letting him go. These RF 01 racquets will show how strong Roger’s brand is, especially with that logo.
Purestriker
Legend
RF is not Michael Jordan and as you state, tennis is a much smaller market. Most juniors don't even know who he is anymore or even have him as their favorite player.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
He’s the MJ of tennis - how did MJ continue to stay relevant after his playing career? The kids are still buying Jordans because their favorite players are wearing them. I guarantee if Nike had turned the Vapor line into a signature RF line bearing his logo, there will be plenty of current ATP pros wearing his shoes, Carlitos probably being one of them. Roger is the favorite player of a lot of current top players when they were juniors.
Wut?
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
Most juniors do know who RF is. If they didn’t watch him, their parents showed them YT clips of the most aesthetic and form-perfect player of all time.
dr. godmode
Hall of Fame
good stick but i have TE so hopefully lots of dampening tech
Just thinking present lousy QC and variation of racket weight. Maybe they are making just one model and later stamping it to as of correct model ?
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
Dampening tech can reduce the vibration amplitude but it won’t change the vibration frequency of a stiff racquet. Best bet is to use a more comfortable string. Full poly on a high RA racquet will aggravate TE, my experience.
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
They won’t delete this one. It’s official now.
MZ9526
New User
lidoazndiabloboi
Hall of Fame
While I agree his logo is iconic, Nike tried to release a casual sportwear line sporting the smaller RF logo, but the market just didn't take. I might be one of the few people that had those items, RF shirts, RF shorts, RF Flyknit Classic shoes, RF Classic Mid, but ultimate you would see all those items for clearance at Marshalls. I think this was Nike's way of testing whether the RF line would be viable going forward. I also think the target audience is different. With Jordan items, you have youth to old wearing his stuff, while RF line was probably geared toward mid to older males. I see the CR7 line being more viable as a standalone, just due to the worldwide reach.
Purestriker
Legend
No he’s not. MJ stayed relevant because everyone wanted to be MJ. You got two other guys who have done more and have just as strong of a following. If anything, he’s more like Magic or Bird. So enjoy those converse fast breaks.
Purestriker
Legend
Yeah and they love Carlos and Sinner. Game over.
Purestriker
Legend
Yes. He’s an all time great but so was Bill Russell, Magic or Kareem and nobody is buying their shoes.
ozbikebuddy
Rookie
I have to say at least it isn't a total garish paint job like the Rafa Origen
mtommer
Hall of Fame
By being the "best" in a far more popular sport in one of the largest sports markets in the world. Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice, Tom Petty, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlian, Derek Jeter, Babe Ruth, even MacEnroe, Agassi...names arguably more well known in the US if only due to the more elevated status of the sports/at the time (ie tennis more popular in the US leading to more notoriety). Put another way, one may well be known outside of the US but not in the US, whereas with most celebrities, if one is popular in the US, one is known world wide.
dyslexical-scope
Rookie
Moment of silent remembrance for all the deleted RF 01 threads.
gino
Legend
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
It was a rhetorical question. My point is, in addition to his accomplishments on court, Air Jordan continued to be relevant because of his charisma, his style, the way he changed basketball fashion and pioneered the concept of signature footwear. His personal brand transcended hoops. I argue RF to tennis is similar. At any given GS event, you can still see plenty of spectators rocking an RF hat, especially at Wimbledon. The RF brand has staying power; not sure I can say the same for Nadal or Djokovic, who are arguably both “better” players than RF based on tennis accomplishments. Anyway, proof is in the pudding. I think Wilson continuing with a Signature line for Fed is genius. They’re creating a sub-brand similar to what Nike did with MJ. I won’t be buying the racquets (for now), but I bet plenty of people will, especially if they perform well. Let’s see how long this partnership lasts. I wouldn’t bet against Roger.
I'm not convinced a racquet that has nothing to do with what he played with on tour with a logo slapped on it has any relevance to Air Jordans which became successful by being the shoes he played with on court during his time with the Bulls and became iconic as a result - but we will see
PistolPete23
Hall of Fame
Good point. But the flagship Air Jordan is on its 39th release. More than half of the releases weren’t worn by Jordan. There’s admittedly a bigger market for the retros, especially the 11s. Maybe Wilson will retro the 90 and 97 with the RF logo in the future, who knows?
absolutely but they weren't iconic and able to sell 39 versions without the original - but yeah i could see RF Retros down the line - i always thought the most effective thing Wilson could do was to make the heaviest/most demanding version of a silo denoted with RF - so like the Blade Pro could be the Blade RF and RF would be like Head has the Pro for their most demanding frame in a line
TNNSDR
Semi-Pro
It looks like an Ezone!!
Im guessing I can post these, since they are from Wilson's website
delosalpes
Rookie
He‘s trolling, silly goose.
yourtennisfit
Professional
It's essentially the ProStaff string spacing? How would you read that much into it from just a picture of a prototype?
TNNSDR
Semi-Pro
It is the typical spacing we also know from the RF97 and which is fine! The racquet must be tested to be judged. I have the feeling that there will be some interesting surprises. Good or bad, we'll see.
While it's neat to see this happen, it does make me kinda sad for the RF97. I have been a stringer for almost a decade and a racket ***** for longer. I've had hands on with almost every type and brand of racket out there. And IMO the RF97 is, without question, the best retail tennis racket ever made. So to see an excellent design with such heritage being brushed aside for some flavour of the month Clash/Shift hybrid is a bit disappointing.
This 01 would want to be the best thing since sliced bread if you ask me.
This 01 would want to be the best thing since sliced bread if you ask me.
mtommer
Hall of Fame
I'm not convinced either and now there are A LOT of jumpman branded Nike's and many don't sell particularly well.
But why create something incredibly niche for a handful of players and "collectors"? I might be in the minority b/c it seems like a lot of people want a re-released older Pro Staff or RF97 in the latest PJ, but I think this is better for the consumer w/ more mass appeal. It's a new line that will continue on Fed's legacy, instead of slowly going towards obsolescence.
Similar threads
