Elina Svitolina's Racket: Why She Left Wilson for Diadem
Here is a switch most fans never saw coming. After more than a decade as one of Wilson's best-known players, Elina Svitolina turned up at the 2025 Australian Open with a racket from Diadem, a small Florida company better known for strings. Eighteen months later she has won the Italian Open with it, reached an Australian Open semi-final and climbed back into the world's top ten. If you have ever wondered whether a racket change can refresh a veteran's game, Svitolina is your case study.
The Short Answer
Since January 2025 Svitolina has played with the Diadem Axis 98, and in 2026 with her own Signature Axis 98, a version of the same frame in a colourway she co-designed. Before that she was a long-time Wilson player: publicly associated with the Blade 98, but widely reported by equipment specialists to be using a Wilson Steam 99 pro-stock frame under the paint.
The Wilson Years (to 2024)
Svitolina built her best-known results with Wilson: the 2018 WTA Finals title in Singapore, back-to-back Italian Open titles in 2017 and 2018, a career-high ranking of world No. 3 in September 2017, an Olympic bronze medal in Tokyo in 2021, and a Wimbledon semi-final in 2023 after returning from maternity leave.
Wilson marketed her with the Blade 98, its popular control-oriented frame. Gear watchers, however, reported that her actual racket was based on the older Steam 99 mould, a 99-square-inch frame from Wilson's spin-friendly Steam family that had been out of retail production for years. This kind of "paint job" is extremely common on tour: players stick with a frame they trust, and the brand paints it to look like whatever is currently in the shops. Wilson never published her exact specifications, so be cautious of any site claiming her precise weight or balance from that era.
The Switch to Diadem (2025)
Svitolina missed the end of 2024 after foot surgery. When she returned at the 2025 Australian Open, she had signed with Diadem, taking its racket, strings, grips and bags. She reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne in her first tournament back, then the quarter-finals at Roland-Garros too.
She said the Axis 98 suited her "aggressive baseline game", helping her generate more spin on the forehand while staying stable on big points. That is a revealing comment: Svitolina made her name as a superb defender and counter-puncher, and the move toward a racket designed for swing speed and spin fits her effort in recent seasons to take the ball earlier and attack more.
The Signature Axis 98 (2026)
For 2026 Diadem released a Signature Axis 98 in a design Svitolina helped create, with her personal logo, patterns inspired by luxury handbags and the Ukrainian flag on the inside of the throat. The underlying frame is the same Axis 98. Published retail specifications are:
- Head size: 98 sq in
- Unstrung weight: 305 g
- Balance: 315 mm (slightly head-light)
- String pattern: 16x20
- Stiffness: around 68 RA
- Beam: 21.5 / 23.5 / 22 mm
Those are the retail numbers. Like almost every pro, Svitolina's own rackets are very likely matched and tuned for weight and balance, but her personal customisation has not been published, so we will not guess at it.
The Results Speak
The 2026 season has been one of the best of her career. She won the title in Auckland in January, her 19th, and went unbeaten through ten matches before losing in the Australian Open semi-finals, beating Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff along the way. That run returned her to the top ten for the first time since becoming a mother; for a spell she and Belinda Bencic were the first two mothers ranked in the top ten at the same time in WTA history. In May she won the Italian Open for a third time, beating Gauff 6-4, 6-7, 6-2 in the final for her fifth WTA 1000 title and 20th career title overall. She also reached the Roland-Garros quarter-finals, and in mid-September 2026 she was ranked No. 7.
No racket wins matches by itself, and Svitolina's improved fitness and fresh approach after taking a break at the end of 2025 matter more. But she clearly trusts her new frame.
If You Want to Play Like Her
- Diadem Axis 98 or Signature Axis 98: the direct retail equivalent. At 305 g unstrung with a 98-square-inch head, it suits intermediate to advanced players with a full swing.
- Diadem strings: Svitolina also uses Diadem strings; the brand's polyester strings suit players who swing hard and want spin. Recreational players should string them a little looser or try a softer cross string.
- Wilson Blade 98: if you prefer to follow her older setup, the Blade 98 is the model she represented at Wilson, and a very popular control frame.
A tip from her game rather than her gear: Svitolina's best weapon has always been her movement. Whatever you buy, footwork will do more for your tennis than any racket.
Quick Summary
- Current racket: Diadem Signature Axis 98 (2026), Diadem Axis 98 (from January 2025)
- Previous brand: Wilson, represented with the Blade 98; widely reported to use a Steam 99 pro stock
- Big 2026 results: Auckland title, Australian Open semi-final, Italian Open title, Roland-Garros quarter-final, back in the top ten
Last updated: September 2026