A tennis racket used by Rafael Nadal during his victory in the 2017 French Open final has set a new record price, selling for $157,333.20 (including buyer`s premium) at a Prestige Memorabilia auction on Sunday. This marks the highest amount ever paid for a tennis racket.
The previous record was held by a racket Nadal used during his 2022 Australian Open triumph (his final Grand Slam win, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev), which fetched $139,700 at Sotheby`s in 2023.
In 2017, Nadal secured his unprecedented 10th French Open title by defeating Stan Wawrinka decisively in straight sets (6-2, 6-3, 6-1). He dominated the tournament without dropping a single set and went on to win four more titles at Roland Garros, extending his unparalleled record there.
The specific racket from Nadal`s 2017 French Open campaign was verified through resolution photomatching to have been used in 24 different matches throughout his 2017 season. This includes appearances in the Madrid Open final, the Miami Open final, and likely the 2017 Australian Open final, the latter two being matches he lost to Roger Federer.
“Locating a racket used by Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam final is uncommon,” reads the lot description from Prestige Memorabilia. “Discovering one photomatched across an entire clay court season (and beyond) – culminating in a French Open championship – is truly exceptional.”
This customized racket features Nadal`s signature `Rafa` emblem near the handle and still has a stringing sticker from the 2017 French Open reading `RG 2017 Nadal`.
Marcus Bellamy