Tennis racket review: Wilson RF01

September 23, 2024
4:43 pm

Tennis racket review: Wilson RF01

Roger Federer might have hung up his racket on the professional competitive tennis court, but his legacy lives on in the shape of an exciting new collaboration with Wilson. Join us as we review the new Wilson RF01.

The Swiss maestro regarded by many as The GOAT (even though he hasn’t won as many Slams as Djokovic or Nadal) has represented the brand as their pinnacle ambassador for many years using their famed Pro Staff. Word has it Federer has been linked with Wilson since he was 9 years old.

Since his farewell (and quite frankly emotional) retirement party at the 2022 ATP Finals in London, we have seen Federer join forces with On creating a signature tennis shoe. He now breaks new ground with his very own RF01 Wilson line.

Let’s first dive into the range of frames that are available for this review of the Wilson RF01 tennis racket…

At the top, is the RF01 Pro weighing in at 320g and duly suited to advanced players. Next up, is the 300g model which sits in the middle for upper intermediate/advanced players. Finally, there is the RF01 Future which is the most forgiving of them all at 280g.

It would be plain rude of the Tennishead team, to pass up the opportunity of taking this new offering for a run out, especially as this new collection has been designed and play tested by the 20-time Grand Slam champion. So, with that we enlisted Gareth Richman (tennis coach and journalist) together with Matt Maloney of Ealing Restring (an advanced club standard player and UKRSA racket stringer).

First impressions on the cosmetic …

Both players admired the silky black to grey metallic finish, silver pinstripes, RF logo and leather grip give this racket a gorgeous minimalistic yet classy aesthetic. The shape of the frame has modern aerodynamic curves with lush, contoured lines.

Gareth: “It looks very sexy with its own unique identity with the Wilson range. I tended to have the ultra sleek ‘RF’ logo on the throat of the frame pointing up towards me, reminding me to play like my good mate Roger point after point after point”. Also, whilst I adore the leather grip, I’ll still lean towards wrapping an overgrip on top!”.

Matt: “At first the racket looks black, once it catches the light you realise it’s a dark metallic grey which is absolutely stunning. I constantly find myself looking at the racket because it’s so striking”.

On whether the USP’s of versatility, manoeuvrability and forgiveness hit the mark (specifically pace, spin and directional change) …

Gareth: “I initially thought, this is a full-on control frame. The racket has a heavy feel but its nifty at the same time. As I got more acquainted with the RF01 and put my trust into it, my variety of shot making began to be rewarded, especially when sizing up a beefed-up groundstroke on an easy on coming ball”.

Matt: “The frame itself feels more aerodynamic and free. It has a fractionally lighter swing weight than I’m used to, but it feels a lot lighter through the air. It allows you to generate a lot of power and spin yourself”.

Comparing it to your current racket …

Gareth: “I’ve been using the Wilson Blade 98 for some years now and recently moved from the v8 to v9. I noticed great stability on the RF01 (even without adding weight).

Despite, the sweet spot being noticeably smaller and the racket being more manoeuvrable I created awesome superb mix of power, control and direction”.

Matt: “I used to use the Babolat Pure Aero 98 2023, specs wise is very similar but plays completely different. The RF01 feels more secure and therefore controlled but at the same time out of the sweet spot generates a lot of power’.

Is there any new whizzy technology plugged in …

The bods from Wilson are boasting a few keys things here. There is the aptly named SABR frame design, Glide Guard and Feel Fill.

Gareth: “I’m 50/50 on the new SABR frame design. Does it do what it says on the tin or is it just clever marketing? One, thing is for sure the racket certainly plays out brilliantly across the board showcasing a high level of versatility”.

The bumper guard system apparently reduces air resistance according to Wilson ramping up faster head speed and last but not least, there is internal foam filled with PU which the brand states optimises vibration dampening.

Does the RF01 shine on any shot in particular …

Gareth: “I felt pretty comfortable covering the court on all shots to be honest. However, teeing up an aggressive return on a weak 2nd serve or a short ball put away, feels like I’m sending down a bolt of lightning towards my opponent. I also revelled in chopping up some deadly backhand slices”.

Matt: ‘I’ve found drop shots are super easy with the RF, also the serve. Groundstrokes take a little bit of getting used to if you’ve had rackets outside the ‘Wilson family’ recently but after a short time you start to feel like overall the racket is just better in almost every department”.

On any shots that might be tricky to execute …

Gareth: “I noticed than hitting slightly off-centre groundstrokes troubled me, which is most likely down to the relatively small sweet spot”.

Matt: “I’ve found volley a little tough, while swinging through the air the racket feels quite light, around the net you do have to do a bit of work to get a good contact on a volley for it to be effective. While it’s quite forgiving at the back of the court, it’s less so at the net”.

On the slice …

Gareth: “Faultless, particularly off the backhand wing. Superb feel, cut, control, spin and direction”.

Matt: “Well, it feels super controlled. The ball glides off the racket so effortlessly, probably due to the slightly more open 16×19 string pattern which generates a lot of spin itself. It’s really easy to change up from deep slice to a drop shot without too much effort”.

Volleying …

Gareth: “I zoned in on deft touch shots and half volleys with ultimate joy. However, when going for killer volleys (not my strongest point play) that needed more focus and attention. The racket is a bit rigid and reacted differently at the top of the court”.

Matt: “They play great if you middle the ball, but getting the racket side to side quickly is really the only time it can feel a little stiff. Drop volleys work wonders!”.

Overheads …

Gareth: “The RF01 has the ability to cut a devastatingly rapid flow through its swing path giving the player enormous opportunities on serve and smashes. I adore the flux of spin, power and control”.

Matt: “Super clean, effortless power and very easy to change direction with smashes”.

Tell us about your string set-up

Gareth: “I’ve gone for Luxilon 1.25 with 53.5lbs in the mains and dropping the crosses to 53lbs. The first hour of hitting tends to feel slightly stiff on my shots but then starts the hit the mark from there on in”.

“This set-up unleashes fabulous power, is easy on my arm and the string tension holds well. I could even go 1 or 2lbs down … maybe more! The lower the better (within reason). I’ll usually refresh the string bed after 6-8 weeks, as the feel feedback tends to deaden somewhat”.

Matt: “I’m currently using a string set up of Solinco Tour Bite 1.20 in the mains and Solinco Hyper G Round 1.20 in the crosses at 51/49 lbs. They grey/green combo with a black stencil looks absolutely sensational in this racket”.

What’s the conclusion about the new Willson RF01

If you want a Roger Federer racket than you can actually play with, the RF01 is the most attractive option for upper intermediate-advanced players to reap the real benefits.

Lower tension is the way to go with this racket, which will free up the all-round performance for you. The RF01 does have dense 16×19 string pattern, as well as a small sweet spot moves but moves through the court with flair and looks drop dead gorgeous.

Tech specs