Serena Williams' Racket: From Hammer to Her Own Signature Blade

Nobody expected to be writing about Serena Williams' racket as current news again in 2026. She said goodbye at the 2022 US Open. Then, on 1 June 2026, she announced she was coming back, and within weeks she was playing doubles at Queen's, a singles match on Wimbledon's grass and mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in New York. So what has the greatest server of her generation been swinging all these years? The answer is a Wilson, always, and eventually one built to her own specifications.

The Short Answer

Serena has been a Wilson player throughout her career. She won her first Grand Slam in 1999 with a racket from the Wilson Hammer Stretch range, moved to the Hyper Hammer line, briefly used the nCode in 2005, and from 2008 played various versions of the Wilson Blade. Since 2017 Wilson has made a signature model, the Blade SW104, designed to her specifications, and from 2020 she used a slightly smaller variant, the Blade SW102 Autograph.

The Hammer Years (1999 to the Mid-2000s)

When a 17-year-old Serena won the 1999 US Open, her racket came from Wilson's Hammer Stretch family: light, extended-length, head-heavy frames with big heads, designed to give lots of power without much effort. She later moved on to the Hyper Hammer line, part of the same power-oriented family, as she rose to dominate the early 2000s, including the original "Serena Slam" of 2002-2003, when she held all four major titles at once.

These were very different frames from what most pros use today. Big heads and power-oriented designs suited her explosive swings and let her generate enormous pace from anywhere on the court.

The nCode Moment (2005)

In 2005 Serena used Wilson's nCode technology racket for a short spell. That was also the year she won the Australian Open. The nCode period was brief, and it bridged the gap to the frame she would use for the rest of her career.

The Blade Era (2008 Onwards)

From 2008 Serena played with versions of the Wilson Blade, but not the standard 98-square-inch version most club players know. Her racket was typically oversized, with a 104-square-inch head, giving her a larger sweet spot while still allowing her to swing freely.

That is the racket family behind the bulk of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, including her second "Serena Slam" of 2014-2015 and the 2017 Australian Open, which she won while pregnant with her daughter Olympia.

Her Signature Rackets: SW104 and SW102

In 2017 Wilson launched the Blade SW104, a signature model designed to Serena's specifications. It was a 104-square-inch Blade with an unusual 18x19 string pattern, marketed to fans as the racket built around her game.

From 2020 she switched to a smaller variant, the Blade SW102 Autograph, with a 102-square-inch head. That was her racket in the final years before her 2022 farewell, when she lost in the third round of the US Open to Ajla Tomljanović.

What We Know About Her 2026 Setup

Here is the honest part. Serena's 2026 comeback has been widely covered, but there has been no reliable, detailed report on whether her racket changed after nearly four years away. Her exact weight, balance and string setup at any stage of her career were not published by Wilson in detail, and any site quoting them to the gram is guessing.

What we do know is how her comeback has gone so far:

• Queen's Club (June): returned in doubles with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko and won her first match 7-6, 6-2; the pair then withdrew before the quarter-finals because of Mboko's knee injury.
• Berlin (June): lost in the first round of doubles alongside Karolína Muchová.
• Wimbledon (July): accepted a singles wildcard and lost a first-round battle to Maya Joint 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, saving a match point along the way. She hurt her knee and had to withdraw from the doubles with Venus.
• Cincinnati (August): played doubles with Venus for the first time since 2022, losing a match tie-break 10-8.
• US Open (August-September): reached the quarter-finals of the mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz, then lost a tight three-setter in the first round of the women's doubles with Venus to Chan Hao-ching and Maya Joint.

She said at the end of August that she would "probably" play singles again, while stressing that this comeback would not be permanent.

How the Racket Suited Her Game

Serena's game was built on the best serve in women's tennis history, a punishing return and enormous power from both wings. An oversized Blade gave her a forgiving sweet spot for those huge swings and the stability to absorb big hitters' pace. The Blade's traditionally flexible, control-oriented feel also meant she was not adding free power she did not need.

If You Want to Play Like Her

• Wilson Blade 104 or Blade 100L: friendlier, larger-headed Blades that capture the spirit of her setup and suit a wide range of club players.
• Wilson Blade 98: if you are an experienced player who wants the classic Blade feel with more control.
• Signature models: Wilson released SW104 and SW102 editions for fans; these can still turn up at retailers and on the second-hand market, but availability varies.

Remember that no racket will hand you a Serena serve. But a larger-headed, control-oriented frame is a sensible choice if you are building a big-hitting all-court game.

Quick Summary

• Brand: Wilson throughout her career
• Key models: Hammer Stretch (1999), Hyper Hammer, nCode (2005), Blade 104 (from 2008), Blade SW104 signature (2017), Blade SW102 Autograph (from 2020)
• Career: 23 Grand Slam singles titles; retired after the 2022 US Open
• 2026: came back in June; Wimbledon singles wildcard, doubles with Venus, mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open

Last updated: September 2026