Jannik Sinner Slams New Racket: "The Racket Sucks"

With the main draw of the 2026 Australian Open kicking off this weekend, tennis fans are eagerly looking for early signs of which player could make history.

Italian star Jannik Sinner looks to win his third consecutive title in Melbourne and his fifth career Grand Slam. Yesterday, we broke down how Sinner received a very favorable draw. However, he is dealing with equipment issues in the days leading up to the first Major of the season.

Jannik about the new Head speed racket: “The racket sucks.”

He switched to the old one in the match against Felix Auger Aliassime. 😅

🎥 @mikaslight pic.twitter.com/thf0L03Ef8
— jannik files (@jannik_files) January 16, 2026

Sinner participated in a practice session with American star Taylor Fritz and was caught on camera complaining about his new tennis racket. In a video shared by the fan account @jannik_files, Sinner can be heard saying, "The racket sucks."

Sinner reportedly switched back to his old racket in the practice match against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime. It could just be a moment of frustration or a minor issue with the strings, but either way, it is not a great look for Head or its ambassador.

"It really has been a dropshot exhibition from Sinner" 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/c5URwwd1U7
— janniksin archive (@sinnervideos) January 16, 2026

In December 2025, Head officially unveiled the Speed 2026 racquet. Sinner headlined the campaign, complete with a splashy photo shoot that excited athletes and fans.

According to the legendary sportswear brand, the Head Speed racquet is "the racquet of choice for the great Jannik Sinner. Power up your swing and play your best with our fastest racquet yet."

💪🇮🇹 Jannik Sinner getting ready for the 2026 season, repping the new cosmetic for the Head Speed line pic.twitter.com/4pMtvulEMU
— Olly Tennis 🎾 🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) December 4, 2025

Throughout most of Sinner's young career, he has excelled with the Head TGT racket. However, Sinner began testing all-black prototype models over a year ago, and now we have a better idea what he was working on all those months ago.

Sinner will face France's Hugo Gaston in the first round in a night session on Sunday, January 18. Tennis fans will be interested to see whether Sinner continues to play with the new Head racket or reverts to the model he is more comfortable with.

The 2026 Australian Open's main draw kicks off on Sunday, January 18. The action concludes for the women on Saturday, January 31, and the men on Sunday, February 1. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis style news from the court and beyond.

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