Andre Agassi, in a viral Instagram video taken by his son Jaden, was seen playing tennis recently alongside wife, Steffi Graf. Former players such as Rennae Stubbs and Mark Philippoussis commented on and liked the video. But fans noticed Agassi using a Yonex racket instead of his usual Head racket.
Some fans were surprised that he had taken this decision after retirement. But the others were excited about him playing tennis whenever he can with a Yonex racket.
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The 8-time Grand Slam champion predominantly used Head rackets when he was a professional player. With Head, he won historic accolades such as the 1996 Olympics gold medal in Atlanta and the 1999 French Open title. Agassi had apparently signed a lifetime deal with Head in 2003 as he completed a decade with the brand.
Agassi has not explained his stance regarding the move as fans have been wondering the reason behind it. While fans were worried about Agassi’s racket, they were happy to see that Graf’s footwork had not changed one bit. Fans complimented her skills being intact even after retiring from the game in 1999. The couple were earlier seen playing as a team during the second season of the Pickleball Slam.
Andre Agassi could be responsible for empowering Yonex’s tennis aspirations further
Over the past five decades on the ATP and WTA Tours, there has been a rise in the number of brands and sponsors. While Wilson has been one of the most popular brands among the rackets, brands like Head has also grown substantially on the tours. Babolat has also been preferred by many players such as Rafael Nadal. While Yonex is more prominent in badminton, it has now gained immense popularity in tennis.
At present, 49 athletes have used Yonex rackets in professional tennis. Former players such as Martina Navratilova, Kimiko Date, Lleyton Hewitt and Martina Hingis are the most famous names in their roster. The numbers are expected to increase in the coming years as Agassi too seems to have joined the club.
Agassi’s switch from Head to Yonex remains complex as Head too has big names using their rackets. Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner continue to use Head rackets on the ATP Tour.
The growth of Yonex may have pushed Agassi to switch his brand after a long time. The former World No.1 was seen comfortably performing drills alongside Graf on the same side of the court. The new Yonex racket could have motivated him to get the feel of the new gear.
