Naomi Osaka's Racquet - What Racquet Does Osaka use?

The Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka has taken the world’s tennis with fire. Not many knew about her before, but after winning both the US Open 2018 and the Australian Open 2019, which got her just enough points to claim the World No.1 spot, suddenly the Japanese star was the talk of the tennis world.

Even though she hasn’t been able to recreate that success after the grand slam titles, she is still among the best players in the world and as many call her, the women’s version of Kei Nishikori. With all the success on the court, many wonder what racquet she plays with. That’s what we will go through in this article.

What racquet does Naomi Osaka use? Naomi Osaka currently plays with the Yonex EZONE 98. The racquet is customized on Osaka’s request and is, therefore, a bit different compared to the stock version. Osaka strings her racquet with Yonex Poly Tour Strike.

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Naomi Osaka Racquet Specs

Yonex EZONE 98 Racquet Specs

Head Size: 98 sq. in
Length: 27in / 68.58cm
Strung Weight: 11.4oz / 323.18g
Balance: 12.79in / 32.49cm / 6 pts HL
Swingweight: 316
Stiffness: 63
Beam Width: 23mm / 24mm / 19mm /
Grip Type: Yonex Synthetic
String Pattern: 16 Mains / 19 Crosses

Naomi Osaka racquet compared to what is on sale online

According to Yonex, Osaka’s racket and the stock versions are different by about 2 percent in terms of frame weight and balance point. Other features, such as the shape of the racket, are also different. Although, Osaka uses the same strings as the stock version.

Naomi Osaka Racquet Review

The other day I got the opportunity to play-test the Yonex EZONE 98. The previous EZONE models are known for being spin-friendly and very comfortable to play with. So, I was really excited to see if this racquet had the same performance and if there were any new developments. This is what I think about the racquet after playing a few hours with the racquet.

Groundstrokes

The first thing I noticed was the forgiveness of the racquet. The isometric head shape has been introduced to the Ezone and therefore the sweet spot has been increased massively. Also, I find that the vibration has been reduced to this racquet, so no more vibration pinging through the racquet.

The most important part of a racquet is how it performs from the baseline. It took a bit of time to get used to the racquet, but once I got comfortable, it felt quite good from the baseline. This racquet has a lot of spin and power potential, and I can really see how aggressive baseline players would love this racquet.

I’m not the most aggressive player, so this isn’t a racquet that I would use. Although I’m a big fan of the racquet for groundstrokes, there are other racquets that suit my baseline play better.

Volleys

I loved the maneuverability at the net with this racquet. It allows you to move the racquet into position during quick exchanges. I felt very comfortable on the net and this is probably what I liked the most with the Yonex EZONE 98.

So if you are a player that spends a lot of time at the net, this racquet is for you. Unfortunately, the modern game of tennis is getting faster and net plays are becoming less relevant.

Serving

The Yonex Ezone really surprised me on the serves. I expected it to be an average racquet that wouldn’t allow for big serves. However, the EZONE 98 had plenty of power that allowed me to maximize my MPH. The serves didn’t just feel good for flat serves, it was also great at hitting with spin.

I was surprised that the best part of the Yonex EZONE 98 was the serves. I’m not the best server, but this racquet allowed me to achieve my full potential.

You can read our full review in this post.

Can You Buy Naomi Osaka’s Racquet?

The Yonex EZONE 98 is available in many online stores, but it’s not the kind of racquet that is available everywhere. It’s not the most popular racquet at the recreational level, brands like Wilson, Head, and Babolat are dominating that category of players.

If you are an aggressive baseline player that loves going for the net. This racquet is for you. Also, if you want to have the same racquet as the Naomi Osaka, make sure you get the right version of the Yonex EZONE. As I’m writing this, I found the best price on Amazon.

Check Price On Amazon

Also Read: What Tennis Shoes Does Naomi Osaka Wear?