Kei Nishikori’s Racquet

Nishikori is playing well again at this year’s US Open and a lot of people wonder how a relatively short guy like him can get so much power out of his shots. Is it the racquet? Well, it’s mostly his technique and lighting-fast movement, but if you’re interested in Kei Nishikori’s racquet specs, this is the post for you.

Contrary to what most people think, Nishikori is not playing with the racquet model he endorses, the Wilson Burn 95, but an older model called the Wilson BLX Tour (review by Tennis Warehouse on the link) and the specs are as follows:

Head Size: 95sqin
Length: 27.25 inches
Strung Weight: 340 grams
Strung Balance: 334 mm
Swing weight: 350

His string of choice is Luxilon 4G which he strings at 24 kg.

Both the Wilson Burn 95 and the BLX Tour are stiff racquets that play fast, so I would recommend a softer string or a hybrid for players who want to emulate Nishikori’s specs. It’s also good to point out the extended length, which requires some getting used to if you’re not already using extended frames.