Roger Federer and Wilson: A Partnership That Changed Tennis

Discover the career-spanning partnership between Roger Federer and Wilson, from his first Pro Staff rackets to the RF97 Autograph and today’s RF Collection.

Few athlete-and-equipment partnerships in tennis have been as enduring, or as successful, as Roger Federer and Wilson.

From the moment a young Federer began making his mark on the sport, Wilson was there. Over a 24-year professional career, Federer won 20 Grand Slam singles titles, 103 ATP titles and spent 310 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world - all with a Wilson racket in his hand.

But just as the story of Roger and Wilson began before his professional career, so too has it extend beyond his retirement.

Today, the partnership continues through the RF Collection by Wilson, a line of performance rackets, bags and accessories co-designed and playtested with Federer himself. What began with a young player and a Pro Staff has evolved into a long-term collaboration built around innovation and design for the next generation of tennis.

A Partnership That Started Before Federer Turned Pro

Roger Federer turned professional in 1998, but his relationship with Wilson began several years earlier.

Wilson’s relationship with Roger Federer dates back to 1991, when he was just 10 years old, eventually developing into the long-term sponsorship relationship that would follow him throughout his career.

By 1998, Federer had already established himself as one of the most promising young players in tennis. That year, he won the Wimbledon boys’ singles title using a Wilson Pro Staff 85”, before turning professional shortly afterward.

That Pro Staff connection would become one of the defining equipment stories of Federer’s career.

While Federer would move through different Wilson technologies and cosmetics over the next two decades, the fundamental DNA of the Pro Staff remained a constant: feel, precision, stability and the ability to execute every shot in an all-court game.

Roger Federer’s Wilson Racket Evolution

Federer’s racket journey is essentially a history of Wilson racket innovation from the late 1990s through the 2020s.

In addition to cosmetic changes, Federer famously made several performance changes to his racket, which he credits as contributing to his legendary longevity. Each of the three frame changes he made were very measured, deliberate, and designed to preserve the feel and control he valued while adapting to the changing demands of professional tennis.

Here’s a look at the primary Wilson rackets Federer used throughout his professional career.

1998–2001: Wilson Pro Staff 85”

Federer began his professional career with the Wilson Pro Staff 85”.

The compact 85-square-inch frame was representative of the traditional player's racket of the era, emphasizing feel and precision over forgiveness. It was also the racket Federer used during his breakthrough victory over Pete Sampras at Wimbledon in 2001.

The Pro Staff 85” was the first major frame in Federer’s professional racket journey.

2002: Hyper Pro Staff 6.1

As Federer’s game evolved, so did his equipment.

He briefly transitioned through the Hyper Pro Staff 6.1, a move that helped bridge the gap between the smaller 85-square-inch frame and the 90-square-inch racket that would become synonymous with his prime.

The transition was short-lived, but important: Federer was beginning to search for additional stability and power without sacrificing the feel that had defined his game.

2002–2003: Hyper Pro Staff 6.0 90”

Federer then moved permanently toward the 90-square-inch platform that would become his signature setup for more than a decade.

The Hyper Pro Staff 6.0 90” represented an important step in the evolution of Federer’s equipment, providing a slightly larger hitting area while maintaining the traditional Pro Staff characteristics he preferred.

2003–2004: Wilson Pro Staff Tour 90”

In 2003, Federer moved to the Pro Staff Tour 90”.

The timing could hardly have been more significant.

That season, Federer won his first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, beginning what would become one of the most dominant periods in men's tennis history.

2004–2006: Wilson nSix.One Tour 90”

Then came arguably the most iconic racket of Federer’s career: the Wilson nSix.One Tour 90”.

Federer used the nCode generation from 2004 through 2006, winning seven Grand Slam titles with the frame—the most Grand Slam singles titles he won with any single racket generation.

This was the racket in Federer’s hand during one of the most dominant stretches tennis had ever seen.

He won three consecutive Wimbledon titles from 2003 through 2006, three consecutive US Open titles from 2004 through 2006, and his first Australian Open title in 2004. The nSix.One Tour 90” became inseparable from the image of Federer at his peak: an elegant, precise player wielding a demanding, precision-oriented frame.

Today, that era continues to inspire Wilson’s RF Classics Collection, including a faithful reissue of the Pro Staff nSix.One Tour 90”.

2007–2009: Wilson K Factor Six.One Tour 90”

In 2007, Federer moved to the K Factor Six.One Tour 90”.

The racket introduced Wilson’s K Factor technology while retaining the 90-square-inch head size and familiar Pro Staff-inspired characteristics.

Federer continued his remarkable run of success with the frame, winning six Grand Slam titles between 2007 and 2009, including his historic 2009 French Open victory, which completed his career Grand Slam.

2010–2011: Wilson Six.One Tour BLX 90”

The next chapter brought BLX technology to Federer’s 90-square-inch platform.

The Six.One Tour BLX 90” continued the formula Federer knew, adding Wilson’s then-new BLX material technology while preserving the compact head size and traditional feel.

Federer used the frame during the 2010 season, including his fourth Australian Open title.

2012–2013: Wilson Pro Staff Six.One 90” BLX

Federer continued with the 90-square-inch platform in the Pro Staff Six.One 90” BLX.

By this point, the racket had become an extension of Federer’s playing identity. While the name, materials and cosmetics evolved, the underlying philosophy remained remarkably consistent.

Federer’s racket was designed around the same qualities that defined his game: feel, control, stability and the ability to change direction at will.

2014–2022: Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph

The biggest equipment change of Federer’s career came in 2014.

After years of using a 90-square-inch racket, Federer finally made the move to a 97-square-inch frame with the Wilson Pro Staff RF97 Autograph.

The change was significant. The RF97 featured a larger head, a wider beam and a heavier overall construction, designed to provide Federer with additional power and stability while maintaining the responsive feel he demanded.

More importantly, it represented a new level of collaboration between Federer and Wilson.

The RF97 Autograph was developed closely with Federer, with his feedback directly influencing the racket’s performance and design. The 2014 RF97 was the most extensive collaboration with Wilson to that point with an elite player of Federer’s caliber.

The move proved transformative.

Federer ultimately won his final three Grand Slam titles with the RF97 Autograph, including the 2017 Australian Open, 2017 Wimbledon and 2018 Australian Open.

The RF97 Autograph was often cited as the reason Roger was able to flip his rivalry with Nadal. Because he could now come over his backhand and hit it more aggressively, he was able to counteract the heavy topspin Nadal frequently attacked with. Before the RF97, Roger was 9-22 vs Nadal. With it, he was 7-2.

He continued using the RF97 through the end of his professional career in 2022, with numerous cosmetics and limited editions along the way.

More Than a Racket: The RF97 Autograph

The RF97 represented an important shift in the Wilson-Federer relationship.

Until that point, Federer had been using increasingly updated versions of Wilson’s established racket franchises. With the RF97 Autograph, the racket itself became an expression of Federer’s personal design philosophy.

Its minimalist all-black aesthetic became particularly influential. The RF97 design went on to inspire subsequent Wilson racket design, which featured minimalistic black frames with the franchise color at 3 & 9 on the hoop.

The racket also reflected a broader truth about Federer’s approach to equipment: he wasn't simply looking for more power.

He wanted a racket that could keep up with his complete game.

His ability to transition seamlessly from defense to offense, attack the net, change direction and manipulate pace required a unique combination of feel, stability and maneuverability. The RF97 was built around that philosophy.

From Professional Racket to RF Collection

Federer retired from professional tennis in 2022, but his relationship with Wilson did not end.

In fact, retirement marked the beginning of an entirely new chapter.

In April 2022, as Federer explored the possibility of returning to the professional tour following knee surgery, he approached Wilson with a new request: a racket designed to help him compete against the increasingly powerful baseline game while preserving his versatile style of play.

Although Federer ultimately did not return to the Pro Tour, the project continued.

For the next two years, Federer and Wilson worked together through extensive playtesting, design meetings and development sessions. The Wilson team met with Federer in locations including Zurich, New York, London, Vancouver and Los Angeles as they developed a new kind of racket. More than 600 playtesters worldwide ultimately tested the resulting RF Collection.

The result was the RF 01.

The RF 01: A New Generation of Federer’s Tennis

Launched in August 2024, the RF 01 represented a major departure from the traditional Pro Staff platform.

Instead of simply recreating Federer’s old racket, Wilson and Federer created a new frame around the demands of the modern game.

The RF 01 features a larger 98-square-inch head, an aerodynamic beam and a more forgiving construction designed to generate racket-head speed while maintaining the precision and feel associated with Federer’s game.

At the heart of the design is SABR Frame Design, inspired by Federer’s unconventional and creative approach to tennis.

The objective isn't to make every player play exactly like Roger Federer.

It's to give players more freedom to play creatively—to vary pace, spin and direction and move fluidly between the baseline and the net.

As inscribed on the racket itself, the RF 01 was inspired, designed and playtested by Federer for the next generation of creative players.

The RF Collection Is Bigger Than a Racket

The partnership has now evolved beyond a signature tennis racket.

The RF Collection by Wilson includes performance rackets alongside bags, accessories and other products designed around Federer’s aesthetic and approach to the game. It is a long-term partnership between the RF and Wilson brands—not simply a short-term product collaboration.

That distinction matters.

The goal isn't simply to put Federer's initials on a racket.

It's to translate his experience into equipment that can carry his influence forward.

The RF Collection is designed around the same principles that defined Federer’s career: versatility, creativity, precision and artistry.

RF Classics: Playing With Federer’s History

The latest evolution takes that philosophy one step further.

The RF Classics Collection revisits some of the most iconic rackets from Federer’s career and reinterprets them for today's players and collectors.

The first RF Classics release includes two models inspired by Federer’s 2004–2006 era:

The RF Classics launch in 2025 was explicitly positioned by Wilson as the second chapter of the RF Collection partnership.

It's a fitting way to celebrate the journey: one racket looks toward the future, while another brings a defining piece of Federer’s past back to life.

RF Hall of Fame Edition: A Legacy Worth Celebrating

To honor Roger Federer’s induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, Wilson recently introduced the limited-edition RF Hall of Fame Collection - a celebration of one of the most influential careers in tennis.

At the heart of the collection are the RF 01 Pro Hall of Fame and RF 01 Hall of Fame rackets, reimagined in an elegant white-and-gold finish inspired by Roger’s legendary Wilson racket history. The RF 01 Pro pairs its performance-focused design with refined details including nods to his previous nCode, K Factor and BLX racket designs, as well as a list of his legendary achievements inside the throat, creating a racket that feels as special as the career it commemorates.

The collection includes matching Hall of Fame Tennis Backpack and Practice Duffel bags. Designed to carry forward the RF legacy, the bags combine understated style with practical functionality.

More than a commemorative collection, RF Hall of Fame is yet another tribute to the partnership that helped define an era, and a legacy that continues to inspire the next generation of players.

24 Years. 20 Grand Slams. One Wilson Legacy.

The story of Roger Federer and Wilson is ultimately about more than the number of rackets he used.

It is about consistency in an era when professional tennis equipment changed dramatically.

Federer began with an 85-square-inch Pro Staff, transitioned through generations of 90-square-inch frames, ultimately moved to the 97-square-inch RF97 Autograph, and then helped create an entirely new 98-square-inch platform for the next generation.

Across all of those changes, one thing remained constant: Wilson.

Federer’s entire professional career - from his first major breakthrough to his final Grand Slam victory - was played with a Wilson racket. His 20 Grand Slam titles, 103 career titles and 310 weeks at No. 1 were all achieved with Wilson equipment.

And now, the partnership has moved beyond Federer's playing career.

The RF Collection by Wilson is the next chapter: a collaboration built not just to preserve what Roger Federer accomplished, but to translate his approach to tennis into equipment for the players who come next.

Because the greatest legacy isn't simply remembering how a champion played.

It's giving the next generation the tools to create something of their own.

Explore the RF Collection by Wilson and discover the next chapter of Roger Federer’s tennis legacy.