Andy Murray has poked fun at Liam Broady (Image: BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
Andy Murray is trialling a Yonex racket after using Head equipment throughout his career.
Andy Murray has made a drastic change just months before his retirement as he is trialling a Yonex racket at this week’s Bordeaux Challenger. The former world No. 1 has used Head equipment for his entire professional career but is trying something new, even though he announced that he would stop playing this summer. But the change appears to be two years in the making, as Murray previously informed Andy Roddick of his intense racket testing methods.
Andy Murray is trying to squeeze every last drop out of his career after sharing his plans to hang up his racket this year. The three-time Grand Slam champion is known for having a high tennis IQ, often going above and beyond in his attempts to maximise his performance.
Despite being in his twilight, the world No. 77 is doing everything he can to keep improving, and his latest attempts to rediscover his best form involve a dramatic change of equipment. Murray has switched racket brands for the first time in his career, as he has been seen practising with a Yonex in Bordeaux this week and will use it in his opening match.
It’s a drastic decision, as even changing the specifications of a racket can have a significant impact on a player’s game. But it’s not the first time Murray has gone to extreme lengths to put his tools to the test, even if it is his biggest switch-up yet.
The Brit has spent at least two years trying to find the perfect racket, using advanced technology to see which model was the most effective when it comes to hitting his shots. In March, retired star Andy Roddick revealed that Murray reached out to him and doubles legend Bob Bryan while conducting a meticulous experiment with his equipment.
“He was on one about the rackets a couple of years ago and he had me and Bob Bryan on a text and he was like, what do you think? More space. I was like, I don’t know,” the 2003 US Open winner said on his Served podcast.
“He rented out a court and kept the shot spot live and active so that when he was using different rackets, it wasn’t based on feelings. It was based on an entire read-out, shot profile. He rented out a court with shot spot technology after he had lost in Cincinnati one year and then sends us all the read outs. I’m like, Bro I don’t know, your math is great, I have no idea. I would have to see how the ball is coming off or feel it, I don’t know what this is.”
And Murray was back at it earlier this year, as he informed his former coach Brad Gilbert that he had been using a similar method to conduct another racket investigation at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre. Gilbert appeared on Roddick’s podcast, opening up on a conversation he had with Murray in Indian Wells.
The current coach of Coco Gauff added: “He was telling me at the LTA, he has a radar gun. He just play-tested every single racket and he says that all the different head rackets, he couldn’t get any more power on any different racket, any type, looser, tighter.
“I said maybe it has something to do with your arm. But he’s still still searching for any smidge that can make him better. And that’s the reason why he’s probably still going. Because in the back of his mind, if he finds something, it will all of a sudden give him that pixie dust.”
Andy Murray will be hoping that the switch to Yonex does prove to be the magic pixie dust he needs to end his career on a high and push for the biggest titles one final time. The former world No. 1 is set to play the French Open for the final time following the Bordeaux Challenger, and he will then head on to the British grass courts.
A two-time Olympic gold medallist, Murray is also eyeing another appearance at the Games which will be held at Stade Roland Garros later this summer. It is believed that he could prioritise doubles this time. He will also compete in the French Open doubles draw with Dan Evans to get some practice.
