Roger Federer is "experimenting with a new tennis racket in the middle of the season," according to Tom Perrotta of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. The "once invincible" Federer "needs a little help, and there's nothing wrong with asking for it." Federer "hasn't divulged many details about the racket, other than that it is made by Wilson, his longtime racket sponsor, and has a 98-square-inch head, 8 inches larger than the Wilson Pro Staff he has played with" since '02. Federer still is "testing the frame and hasn't committed to playing with it full-time, and it might be modified further." Federer said last week, "It's a prototype." Wilson Racquet Sports GM Jon Muir said that the new racket is "based on Federer's requests and feedback from previous tests, and stressed that the process is far from over." Muir added that the racket is "not a Wilson Blade 98, as some online gear gurus have guessed," but was "made in Wilson's Chicago lab." Muir: "It's not something we are currently producing and selling to customers." Perrotta noted if Federer "eventually commits to a new racket, Wilson's sales would likely get a boost." Sources said that Federer's current racket sales are "around No. 20 in the industry, down from previous years." Rafael Nadal's Babolat AeroPro Drive is "the top-selling racket in the world" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/19).
