Wilson RF 01 Playtest and Assessment

On this assessment, I discover the RF 01, a racket designed by Roger Federer to carry parts of his recreation to a broader viewers.

Wilson says it’s the road of rackets Federer would have used if he had efficiently recovered from knee surgical procedure in 2021.

Sadly, everyone knows that by no means occurred, so we will’t make certain if that’s true, however at first look, it definitely seems and looks like the kind of racket you’d have seen him wielding on the court docket.

The RF 01 is positioned between the tour-level RF 01 Professional and the lighter RF 01 Future. It’s constructed for superior intermediates and aggressive gamers who search a flexible steadiness of spin, management, and manoeuvrability.

With its exact body geometry and Braid 45 know-how, the RF 01 is claimed to supply the best center floor within the RF lineup. It delivers the ability and stability to help an aggressive taking part in fashion whereas sustaining a player-friendly really feel.

It’s additionally foam-filled, which isn’t new however comparatively uncommon in most fashionable rackets and never widespread within the different rackets I’ve playtested this yr.

On this detailed assessment, I’ll share my expertise testing the RF 01, specializing in the way it carried out in varied conditions and whether or not it meets my expectations.

Wilson RF01 Cosmetics & Options

One of many standout elements of the Wilson RF 01 is its glossy, minimalist design. The racket boasts a clear, polished look with no flashy colors or gimmicks.

Its matte black end and delicate Roger Federer and Wilson logos convey sophistication and understated class.

This racket is designed for purists—gamers preferring understated efficiency over stylish aesthetics. Its lack of brilliant colors or daring patterns displays its seriousness, geared toward those that method the sport with focus and intention, like Federer himself.

Relating to supplies, the RF 01 isn’t any completely different from most different rackets available on the market. If something, the “know-how” facet of issues isn’t closely pushed on this racket like in most new releases with the newest and best developments.

As an alternative, it’s marketed as high-quality graphite with braided fibres at 45-degree angles, which ensures a sturdy but light-weight body.

It’s also foam-filled with PU to optimise vibration dampening, which Federer requested, as he should like that feeling.

Other than the cosmetics, this racket’s design contains a rigorously chosen beam width. As talked about within the specification chart, the RF 01 incorporates a novel 23.2mm/24mm/22mm beam, which goals to offer a mix of stability and manoeuvrability.

The marginally wider center part (24mm) ought to be certain that the racket has sufficient stiffness to generate energy. As compared, the tapered beam in the direction of the pinnacle (22mm) is supposed so as to add to its management and finesse, making it simpler to control for contact pictures and volleys.

Specification and Setup

I had the racket strung with Luxilon Aspect 1.2mm. Rigidity was 22.5kg on each mains and crosses. Aspect is a cushty poly to think about if you need an arm-friendly monofilament.

 
Wilson RF 01 2024
My Wilson RF 01 2024

Head Dimension
98 in² / 632.26 cm²
98 in² / 632.26 cm²

Size
27in / 68.58cm
27in / 68.58cm

Unstrung Weight
10.6oz / 300g
10.6oz / 300g

Strung Weight
11.2oz / 318g
11.1oz / 316 g

Unstrung Stability
12.85in / 32.64cm / 5 pts HL
12.85in / 32.64cm / 5 pts HL

Swingweight
319
320

Stiffness
64
Not measured

Beam Width
23.2 mm / 24 mm / 22 mm
23.2 mm / 24 mm / 22 mm

Composition
Carbon + Carbon braid (Graphite)
Carbon + Carbon braid (Graphite)

Racket Colours
Gradient black to gray
Gradient black to gray

Grip Sort
Wilson Professional Efficiency
Wilson Professional Efficiency

String Sample
16 Mains / 19 Crosses
16 Mains / 19 Crosses

String Rigidity
23-27 kg
22.5 kg

Wilson RF01 Playtest

First Impressions

From the primary moments of testing the Wilson RF 01, it appeared clear that this racket is constructed for precision and high-level efficiency regardless of its moderately light-weight really feel.

Once I first held it, the burden distribution and steadiness felt properly fitted to an aggressive, fast-paced fashion of play.

The racket feels strong and nimble, giving me confidence that my swings might be met with an important response.

As quickly as I began hitting balls, these first impressions had been confirmed. The RF 01 is clean and responsive, providing distinctive suggestions on each shot.

Inside a couple of minutes, I realised this racket was designed to let me dictate play whereas sustaining full reliability on my contact pictures.

Past its technical prowess, I additionally honeymooned with this racket’s aesthetics. It’s a great-looking body.

Groundstrokes

The RF 01 carried out admirably concerning groundstrokes, particularly on flat pictures and attacking strokes. The racket supplies a strong reference to the ball, providing clear, crisp responses whether or not you’re taking part in aggressive pictures from the baseline or going for exact placement.

It excelled on drive pictures, significantly when moving into the court docket. Nonetheless, I might have appreciated it if the racket had delivered extra weight to the ball throughout acceleration.

I’m uncertain if including extra weight or altering the burden distribution would negatively have an effect on the body’s manoeuvrability, however the specs do depart room for customisation, or as some gamers prefer to name it, a “platform racket.”

Nonetheless, because the racket isn’t designed for monotone, fast-paced baseline play, this slight lack of energy from the baseline mustn’t pose an excessive amount of of a difficulty in case your recreation fashion is extra of an all-court variable sort of play.

I additionally seen that the racket misplaced management when making an attempt heavy topspin pictures at larger speeds.

The difficulty arose once I tried to keep up a quick tempo whereas producing topspin. The spin potential was respectable however not as robust as another rackets I’ve examined, particularly below these situations.

Whereas wonderful by way of feeling and luxury, I think that the Luxilon Wilson Aspect string will not be the most effective match for the RF 01 300g with regards to dealing with aggressive topspin pictures at pace.

That being mentioned, the racket’s very good manoeuvrability allowed me to generate good spin once I slowed down and targeted purely on creating topspin, although I needed to sacrifice some pace for that added spin.

This steadiness may fit properly for gamers prioritising management over uncooked energy of their topspin recreation.

Contact Photographs and Volleys

The RF 01 shines in contact pictures and volleys. The racket felt quick and responsive on the internet, making it simple for me to exactly hit delicate drop pictures and angle volleys. The body affords wonderful suggestions, which gave me confidence when making an attempt extra artistic and exact performs.

The racket was extremely simple to manoeuvre on the internet, nearly as if I had been gripping it from its throat. This allowed me to react rapidly to fast-paced rallies and end factors effectively.

Furthermore, feeling the gentle and managed response on contact pictures made me perceive what Wilson and Roger had in thoughts when claiming this racket was designed for artistic tennis gamers.

Serves

If I needed to describe my expertise serving with RF 01 in a single phrase, it will be “clean.” The racket allowed for an excellent mixture of energy and precision.

I discovered it simple to position serves precisely, and the ability was there when wanted for flat, aggressive first serves. The top-light steadiness additionally contributed to a fast swing, which helped generate respectable racket-head pace on serves.

Nonetheless, like with groundstrokes, I felt the racket lacked some spin potential on second serves. The spin serves didn’t appear to have as a lot kick as I usually count on, seemingly once more influenced by the string setup.

Returns

I significantly loved testing my return with RF 01. The racket’s strong construct supplied stability in opposition to huge serves, whereas its gentle head made it simple to manoeuvre when reacting to fast-paced pictures.

Whether or not blocking a serve again into play or attacking a second serve, the RF 01 delivered with energy and precision. Its distinctive management makes it simpler to information the ball to particular spots on the court docket, and I believe the foam-filled side provided some added stability and made the sound much less pingy when returning quick incoming balls.

Who’s This Racket For?

The Wilson RF 01 is undeniably designed for gamers who admire precision and contact of their recreation. It is a perfect racket for gamers who get pleasure from a artistic, all-court fashion, permitting them to combine up their pictures and preserve their opponents guessing.

The mixture of energy and management makes it good for gamers who wish to dominate factors with finesse, aggression, and selection.

Whereas the RF 01 could not excel in producing heavy topspin, its strengths in different areas make it a wonderful selection for gamers who prioritise contact, internet play, and strategic shot-making.

I agree with Wilson that this racket is geared towards the subsequent technology of artistic tennis gamers.

In comparison with the RF 01 Professional and RF 01 Future

In comparison with the RF 01 Professional, which is heavier and geared towards superior gamers searching for most stability and management, the RF 01 is lighter and extra accessible, ultimate for intermediate to superior gamers who need versatility with simpler dealing with.

In distinction to the RF 01 Future, the lightest of the trio and greatest fitted to inexperienced persons or early intermediates, the RF 01 supplies a extra substantial really feel whereas nonetheless forgiving sufficient for a variety of taking part in kinds.

I like to recommend that almost all gamers who play frequently and have just a few years of expertise demo the RF 01 first. The Professional mannequin has a narrower match at 337g strung.

In the event you like lighter-weight frames however nonetheless like the98 square-inch head measurement, then the RF 01 Future is an choice,  

Remaining Ideas

In abstract, the Wilson RF 01 300g delivers an excellent mixture of class and efficiency. Its minimalist design is visually interesting and displays its on-court efficiency, the place precision and contact pictures actually shine.

I genuinely love the design—it’s undoubtedly one of the vital stunning rackets I’ve ever seen. I’m additionally inquisitive concerning the RF 01 Professional’s efficiency, and I hope to check out that model (the one they are saying Federer would have used) to see if it will meet the calls for of ATP and WTA-level gamers.

Professionals

Cons

Have you ever tried any rackets from the brand new Wilson RF line? What did you suppose?