The world’s top tennis players are in Flushing Meadows, Queens this week for the 2025 edition of the U.S. Open. The Grand Slam tennis tournament runs through September 8, with the athletes competing to take home the record $5 million prize if they win the event. Both the men’s and women’s singles champion will collect …
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The world’s top tennis players are in Flushing Meadows, Queens this week for the 2025 edition of the U.S. Open. The Grand Slam tennis tournament runs through September 8, with the athletes competing to take home the record $5 million prize if they win the event. Both the men’s and women’s singles champion will collect the $5 million payout, which represents the largest prize in professional tennis to date.
This year’s tournament also marks the debut of new tennis rackets from Wilson Sporting Goods, which has long been a go-to name for some of the world’s best athletes. Players like Australian star Alex De Minaur, Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk, China’s Qinwen Zheng and Greek athlete Maria Sakkari are all taking to the court with Wilson’s new Ultra v5 Racket, which was released last month.
The flagship model in the Ultra series is the Ultra 99 Pro V5, which has been turning heads at the Open thanks to its glossy, electric blue and black colorway. It isn’t just looks though — Wilson says it used “direct feedback” from its tennis players to design the new racket, which promises better power, consistency and control. That’s thanks to Wilson’s “SI3D Frame Technology,” which is said to deliver improved stability for more precise shots, while the Ultra’s open 16×18 string pattern offers more “forgiveness and extra spin.” Wilson’s thinner beam construction, meantime, is often credited by players with providing a better “feel” and flexibility of shots.
The racket was also constructed with sustainability in mind. Wilson says the racket bumper, grommet and end cap were all made from plant-based materials.
The 27th-ranked Kostyuk and eighth-ranked De Minaur both previously competed with Wilson’s Blade 98 rackets before switching to the Ultra this summer, just in time for the U.S. Open. Wilson does have a special U.S. Open version of its Blade 98 v9 racket available on its website, with a black and graphite New York-inspired colorway and U.S. Open branding on the inside of the head.
In addition to the above frames, Wilson is also launching a special-edition racket with current women’s world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian star will be playing with a custom Blade v9 racket that features a flame-inspired design that “channels her passion and power into every swing.” Named “The Fighter,” the limited-edition racket is available on Wilson.com for $279.
As for the U.S. Open: you can watch coverage of this year’s tournament on ESPN and Tennis Channel. Stream the U.S. Open online free with a free trial to DirecTV here.
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Category: General Sports
