Here is What Racquet Does Nishikori Use! – Check It Out

Tennis champion Nishikori has many tricks up his sleeve. The first Asian male tennis player to reach such heights, his equipment is the talk of the show. From shoes to strings to his tennis racquet; the Nishikori flame runs high. Here’s what racquet Kei Nishikori uses:

Kei Nishikori uses the Wilson nTour 95 as his go-to racquet for every tennis match. It is painted to look like Wilson Ultra 95 Countervail for sponsorship reasons. Nishikori’s racquet has several tweaks, making it one of the most distinguished on tour.

There’s no doubt that a lot of points come into play for a good match. The technique, skill, and of course the racquet you use. For Japanese player Kei Nishikori, this is one of his most talked-about possessions. 

All fans want to be just like their players. They want to possess the things they have and use the racquets they use to show their support and love. 

For this reason, Nishikori’s racquet is in high demand and here, I’m about to tell you all you need to know about the infamous piece. 

Kei Nishikori Racquet Specifications

The professional player uses the Wilson n Tour 95 as his go-to for every match; however, the racquet itself looks like the Wilson Ultra 95 Countervail which can be purchased through this link.

The player’s racquet has a beautiful and flexible string bed of Luxilon 4G that’s strung quite low. This is to ensure that the ball sinks in perfectly when in contact with the string, allowing Nishikori to hit his staple shots. 

Now let’s talk about the specs of the Wilson ultra 95, which is the sponsorship racquet that the Tour n 95 is painted to look like. 

This table shows the attributes and specifications of Kei Nishikori’s Wilson Ultra 95 tennis racquet.

Now, these are the technical specs of the endorsed racquet of Nishikori but the thing is, its specs are a bit different from the original racquet that the player actually uses. It’s not an oh-so-big difference but it greatly impacts how well he plays. 

He is the first Asian to represent at the Grand Slam finals (a big tennis feat) and the second Asian male to be ranked No.5 overall.

Given the player’s luck in the height spectrum, his Tour n 95 is around 0.5 inches taller than the sponsorship racquet. This is to cover up for his low aim and give him a wider reach.

Because of the height increase, it adds about 20 grams extra to the racquet. 

Other than this, the Japanese player has customized his racquet with the natural gut 16 and Luxilon string bed.

There’s a common understanding that the kind of string you use greatly affects your play and seeing this unique hybrid choice it’s clear that he’ll be hitting a lot of spins.

» You can also read my post: What Tennis Racquet Novak Djokovic Uses

Kei Nishikori’s Racquet Endorsements 

So, why doesn’t the tennis pro just use one or the other kind of tennis racquet? Why make this big elaborate scheme of upholding your endorsement and still having a personalized racquet? 

Kei Nishikori has an endorsement deal with Wilson where he particularly sponsors the Ultra 95. 

Now we all know that players bring a lot of customers just by having their names on the equipment. People value the choices their idols make and also because he’s signed a lifetime sponsorship deal with Wilson in 2015. 

With all this going on, tennis players still prefer to tweak a few minute adjustments here and there that can give them more leverage while playing.

That’s why the racquet is painted to look like the one he’s sponsoring, so sales aren’t disrupted but at the same time, he can have his bit of personalization. 

The Benefits of Endorsements

If we look at the pros and cons there might be a little gray blob of no apparent good or bad but, it does help a lot. For starters, the player is actively bringing in prospects that’d like to purchase the Ultra 95. 

This boosts Wilson’s sales which is what the whole sponsorship is about. So the company gains sales and for each sale, Nishikori gets his share. Now that that’s settled, a percentage share isn’t the only benefit he gets. 

While he goes in public playing with the paint job tour n 95, he’s simultaneously attracting people to get the “real” racquet Nishikori uses while in reality, that racquet is way beyond reach. 

So the player gets his possession at an unattainable position while also not discouraging his fans from getting one that looks like his racquet. 

» Read my blog post about: Best Tennis Strings For Spin

What Does The Nishikori’s Racquet Look Like? 

Nishikori’s racquet has a small head and lowish weight which gives good amazing maneuverability and control. The racquet weighs 309g which is relatively lightweight for those who prefer it. The swing weight though, that’s immaculate. At 339g this racquet gives the shot an immense plow through.

This is a deadly combo so, by no means should you take this lightly. These two aspects of a racquet give immense power and make for perfect spins. 

Other than this, the racquet is also very stiff and its heavy swing weight makes it a bit hard to play with. For this reason, the Wilson dampening technology plays an important role. 

The tech helps absorb shocks and prevents any injury or hindrance in hitting the serve. At the end of the day, the infamous Nishikori racquet is good at almost everything but not overly good at one specific thing. 

How Well Does The Racquet Play? 

Yes, the racquet looks superb and yes, it’s very good in power and control but, exactly how well does this bad boy work on the court? I mean, seeing all the hype there’s gotta be something extraordinary about it, shouldn’t there? 

Well, if I consider the original racquet then we’ll never know, however, if I were to look at the Ultra 95 then, that isn’t something difficult to find out. 

So, does the infamous Nishikori racquet even deserve the hype it gets? 

You’re about to find out. 

Groundstrokes 

Starting from the basics, allow me to review how well the racquet performs its groundstrokes. Now like I said before, the racquet is easily an all-rounder. It’s good at almost every aspect but not too good that it has to give something else up in return. 

This way, the ultra 95 is by far the most suitable choice for hitting the perfect groundstrokes. You see, here’s the deal, you’re not going to be hitting spin after spin after spin in every other shot. Most of your shots will consist of just keeping yourself in the game with the regular back and forth. 

» This could also be something for you: Best Tennis Racquet Brands

For this reason, a good groundstroke can change the entire game. With the racquet’s heavyweight, it’s easily noticeable that it plows the ball perfectly. And like I mentioned before this racquet is already composed of immense maneuverability so that isn’t on the limiting side either. 

The weight is once again a balance of not too heavy or light and in this way, keeps the racquet both firm and way easier to swing. When all of this is combined on the court, you can expect yourself to hit some serious groundstrokes. 

Volleys 

Moving onto volleys, it could use some improvements here solely because it takes a minute too much for getting in position. For a walk-in-the-park sort of match, this is no biggie but for a serious one-on-one match, trouble ensues. 

Nishikori defeated the legendary Rafael Nadal simultaneously, winning Japan a bronze medal. Later, he even scored gold for Japan in the 2016 Olympics.

The weight actually acts as a con here by refraining you from showing your agile moves. Thankfully, this is covered up by maneuverability so it’s an exchange of features or sorts. 

Plus, this racquet is so firm that it sucks in all the tremors that occur when hitting the ball. This allows me to hit the ball with extra added power since my stance is not weakened. So you better stay far clear from me on the court. 

Serve

Here’s the deal with the Ultra 95, it’s basically supposed to be a sort of balance between being too light and too heavy. It’s not light as a feather so it won’t go flying with the ball. It’s not heavy enough to barely move an inch either; the perfect equilibrium. 

Not to mention the power this bad boy has – whew! I mean it when I say the racquet does not compromise on the power allegation. This racquet is just a charm to have, trust me! You won’t be leaving the court upset anytime soon. 

Now for the million-dollar question. Yes, I know you were thinking about it, no need to deny that now. Everyone’s wondering whether or not they can take hold of the legendary racquet. 

Can You Buy the Kei Nishikori’s Racquet? 

You can’t buy the infamous Kei’s Nishikori racquet as it is custom-made for Kei’s requirements. However, you can always get your hands on the Ultra 95 which is quite similar to Kei’s Nishikori’s racquet.

Wilson Ultra 95 is practically stacked on shelves in any tennis store. But the tweaked to perfection nTour 95? You just won’t find any leads on buying this and, if you do, just know you’re being scammed.

If you searched “Nishikori tennis racquet” on google you’d find a list of sites all claiming to be selling the desired product. They’d include verdicts and oaths on their authenticity just so they can sell their so-called ‘original piece’. And what’s amazing is people actually buy it.

Don’t fall for such listings!

» Read my blog post: Best Babolat Tennis Racquets – The Best Guide

Conclusion

Kei Nishikori. A staple name in every Asian household. His name and presence alone have resulted in massive sales. That’s the level of impact he holds and, seeing his impressive wins over the years, the frenzy is justifiable.

There are people out there who are willing to buy his racquet at any cost. 

The player’s name is no longer just a source of Asian representation and recognition of the East Asian island countries. Rather, it’s a symbol of success and hard work. And everyone wants to have a token of this hard work — That is his special magic wand aka racquet.