The tennis world witnessed another significant sponsorship shift as Italian star Lorenzo Musetti debuted his new ASICS partnership at the Hong Kong Tennis Open. The 22-year-old Olympic bronze medalist stepped onto the court sporting an all-Heather Purple kit with charcoal shoes, marking the end of his long-standing relationship with Nike.

The multi-year agreement with ASICS comes at a pivotal moment in Lorenzo Musetti‘s career, following his most successful season to date. In 2024, the Italian achieved several career milestones, including reaching his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon and securing a historic Olympic bronze medal in Paris – the first Olympic tennis medal for Italy in 100 years.

The sponsorship change isn’t the only fresh start for Musetti in 2025. The Italian tennis star recently surprised fans by trading his signature long locks for a dramatically shorter hairstyle, a decision influenced by his girlfriend, Veronica Confalonieri. The couple, who welcomed their son Ludovico in March 2024, continues to share their personal milestones with fans.

Currently ranked as Italy’s No. 2 player behind Jannik Sinner, Musetti’s career achievements include two ATP titles (2022 Hamburg European Open and Tennis Napoli Cup), and he was part of Italy’s victorious Davis Cup teams in 2023 and 2024. His most notable victory came against World No. 1 Novak Djokovic at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters.

With this new partnership, Musetti joins ASICS’s growing roster of tennis athletes, signaling the brand’s continued commitment to expanding its presence in professional tennis, while Nike appears to be scaling back its tennis sponsorships.

Reilly Opelka has switched to Tecnifibre racquets. He appears to be using a blacked out Tecnifibre TF40 racquet. The new racquet has already paid off for the big American who is coming off from a long break from tennis due to injury.

Standing at 6 feet 11 inches tall, Reilly Opelka has established himself as one of tennis’s most formidable servers and an increasingly complete player. The American reached a career-high ranking of World No. 17 in February 2022, marking him as one of the most promising talents in U.S. tennis. His breakthrough came in 2019 when he captured his first ATP title at the New York Open, followed by victories at the 2020 Delray Beach Open and two titles in 2022 at Dallas and Houston.

Reilly Opelka‘s most significant result at a major tournament came at the 2021 US Open, where he reached the fourth round. That same year, he made his first Masters 1000 final in Toronto, defeating world No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas along the way – his first victory over a top-5 player.

His junior career was equally impressive, highlighted by winning the 2015 Wimbledon boys’ singles title. Most recently, Opelka made headlines by defeating Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Brisbane International, becoming the first American to beat the Serbian champion in nearly a decade.

Why changing racquets is a challenge for top players

For professional tennis players, changing racquets is one of the most challenging transitions they can face in their careers. This is particularly true for big servers who rely heavily on their signature weapon. The racquet becomes an extension of their arm, with years of muscle memory built around its specific weight, balance, and feel.

When a player switches racquets, they must essentially reprogram their entire service motion to maintain the same level of power and accuracy.The serve is especially sensitive to equipment changes because it’s the only shot in tennis where players have complete control over all variables. The toss, point of contact, and swing path must be perfectly coordinated to generate maximum power and spin.

Even minor differences in racquet specifications can significantly impact serve performance. A change in racquet weight of just a few grams or slight variations in balance point can affect swing speed and timing. For big servers who regularly hit serves over 140 mph, these small changes can mean the difference between an ace and a double fault.

Professional players typically spend months testing new racquets before making a switch. They often start by using the new racquet only in practice while maintaining their trusted frame for matches. This allows them to gradually adapt while preserving their competitive edge. Many players also work with racquet technicians to customize the new frames to match the specifications of their previous racquet as closely as possible, helping ease the transition.