Powered by Nanotechnology

From Next magazine issue 3/2004. Text by Sonja Nyberg

Wilson is bringing nanotechnology to tennis rackets. The company's new nCode rackets add extra power to the strokes of both amateur and professional players.

According to Brian Dillman, VP of Global Marketing for Wilson Racket Sports, the company continuously strives to develop innovative products that better meet the needs of active sports participants. He says that when Wilson began developing nanotechnology products in Chicago back in March 2000, the aim was to create a racket that looked and performed better than those embodying existing technologies.

Filling the voids

Nanotechnology, which has attracted a great deal of attention both in tennis circles and in the press, makes it possible to manufacture stronger and more durable tennis rackets by filling the tiny voids that exist between the individual carbon fibers of the racket's frame. Wilson's nCode is the first racket in the world to be manufactured using nanotechnology. Wilson had already applied this new technology to tennis balls before turning its attention to rackets. The nCode process involves injecting nanoscopic silicone dioxide crystals into the voids that naturally occur between individual carbon fibers. This adjustment made at the molecular level significantly enhances the stability of the entire carbon matrix, delivering more strength, more stability and more power. Both amateur and professional players can certainly feel the improvement in performance.

"Wilson has developed a product with a difference that can be felt in the hand, but not necessarily seen by the eye," said Dillman.

Federer switches to nCode

According to the results of Wilson's laboratory tests, nCode rackets are twice as strong, twice as stable and up to 22% more powerful than conventional rackets. These findings, known by the number series 2-2-22, provide compelling evidence of nCode's superiority.

"The numbers simply confirm our assertion that the nCode racket delivers greater stability and more power," stated Dillman.

In addition to the new technology, Wilson has paid a great deal of attention to the design of the nCode rackets. The company worked closely with several top players, including Roger Federer and the Williams sisters, to ensure that the racket's design suited the playing styles of the tennis stars. There are seven different models in the n-Code series, each designed to suit players of differing abilities. Roger Federer, who officially switched over to nCode at the French Open earlier in the season, plays with the nSixOne Tour, the heaviest model in the range at 340 grams. Many of Wilson's other contracted professionals are also testing the new models. Venus Williams, for instance, has been testing trying out the new n5 racket, which provides very precise control. Finland's top player, Jarkko Nieminen, is playing with the nSix-One 95 racket.

The company believes that all of Team Wilson's tennis stars will be using nCode rackets at the US Open in August.

"At the moment fifteen top players, such as Taylor Dent and Jonas Björkman, are using the new nCode rackets and a number of others, including the Williams sisters, are testing them. We expect the number of users to grow as the players try out the new rackets," said Dillman.

Wilson's representatives say that the new rackets have been well received by the top players. On Wilson's nCode racket web site Roger Federer says that he has been playing with the company's rackets since the age of ten and is enthusiastic about the stability of the new product. He also mentions that he likes the look of his racket: its colors are the same red and white as those of his homeland Switzerland's flag.

Developed to succeed

Brian Dillman says that the feedback received from amateur players has also been positive, and Wilson is confident that men, women and junior players will find the nCode rackets just as impressive as the stars of the professional game are discovering. While the price of the rackets will probably dissuade those hunting for inexpensive equipment, players who put a high value on quality are expected to place Wilson's new nCode rackets high on their list of must-haves. Dillman says that the nCode rackets cost between $200 and $300 US dollars. The company is presently shipping the first nCode rackets to sports stores worldwide. Wilson expects its nCode rackets to help the company maintain its position as the World's leading tennis company and further strengthen its reputation as a leading equipment manufacturer committed to continuous product innovation.

"And of course we hope that these new products will boost our market shares in regional markets worldwide," added Dillman. Wilson is the leading tennis brand globally with a world market share of 36 percent in rackets. In the United States the company dominates the racket market with a 44 percent share.

"These new rackets have been developed to succeed, and I don't think that we will have any difficulty getting players enthusiastic about them, especially when you see the results Federer had at Wimbledon" concluded Dillman.