Inspired by twin sons and daughters, Roger Federer launches new RF racket collection with Wilson
Roger Federer has collaborated with Chicago-based sports equipment manufacturing giant Wilson to create a new signature racquet from scratch. The racquet has been named RF 01, and is inspired by the Swiss' twin daughters Myla Rose and Charlene Riva, and twin sons Leo and Lenny.
Federer and Wilson's relationship began back in 1998, when the former's on-court talents caught the company's attention, leading to a contract. Since then, the two have been virtually inseparable, with the 20-time Major winner having reportedly signed a lifetime contract with the brand.
Throughout the entirety of his illustrious senior career, the former World No. 1 relied on Wilson's racquets, with some of them, such as the Wilson Six-One Tour 90, becoming synonymous with Federer's dominance in the mid 2000s. While playing with the Six-One Tour 90, the Swiss won an astonishing 30 titles on the ATP Tour over a two-year span.
Federer and Wilson recently announced the RF 01, a new signature racket that the 20-time Grand Slam champion designed during an injury layoff in the twilight of his tennis career. At the time, the Swiss' vision, by his own admission in a recent interview with Forbes' Tim Newcomb, was that he would need a faster racquet to compete at his best upon his return to action. Federer also had other players in mind while designing the racquet.
"As we started building it, I was still thinking what do I need to come back? I started thinking for other players, what could they also use? I was doing quite extensive racquet testing and we landed here in a spot where I think the weight, the size, the shape of the frame, we landed on this very quickly," Federer told Newcomb.
The former World No. 1 also saw to it that the frame featured two thin white pinstripes, which is symbolic of Federer's twin sons and daughters.
"All four of them like to play" - Roger Federer on his twin sons and daughters' affinity for tennis
Earlier this year, in an interview with Gazetta dello Sport, Federer laid bare his children's liking for tennis and that they are already playing the sport. However, the Swiss refused to harbor any grand ambition for his twin sons and daughters' respective futures as far as tennis is concerned.
"I don't know if they will be champions, but it makes me happy that all four of them like to play tennis. The twins play 3-4 times a week. The boys are still young, but I see their desire to be champions. Obviously, Everest is not climbed in one night. It's a long road. For now, I like that they are active," Federer said.
The Swiss called time on his glittering career at the 2022 Laver Cup, where he paired up to play doubles with longtime rival Rafael Nadal.