Jannik Sinner Slams New Racket: 'The Racket Sucks'

Sinner participated in a practice session with American star Taylor Fritz and was caught on camera complaining about his new tennis racket. In a video shared by the fan account @jannik_files, Sinner can be heard saying, "The racket sucks."

Sinner reportedly switched back to his old racket in the practice match against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime. It could just be a moment of frustration or a minor issue with the strings, but either way, it is not a great look for Head or its ambassador.

In December 2025, Head officially unveiled the Speed 2026 racquet. Sinner headlined the campaign, complete with a splashy photo shoot that excited athletes and fans.

According to the legendary sportswear brand, the Head Speed racquet is "the racquet of choice for the great Jannik Sinner. Power up your swing and play your best with our fastest racquet yet."

Throughout most of Sinner's young career, he has excelled with the Head TGT racket. However, Sinner began testing all-black prototype models over a year ago, and now we have a better idea what he was working on all those months ago.

Sinner will face France's Hugo Gaston in the first round in a night session on Sunday, January 18. Tennis fans will be interested to see whether Sinner continues to play with the new Head racket or reverts to the model he is more comfortable with.

The 2026 Australian Open's main draw kicks off on Sunday, January 18. The action concludes for the women on Saturday, January 31, and the men on Sunday, February 1.