Rafael Nadal’s 2007 French Open-winning racket, Babolat AeroPro Drive, was recently sold at an online auction for $118,206. It has become the third most valuable racket after the Babolat Pure Aero from his 2022 Australian Open-winning run ($139,700) and Billie Jean King’s ‘Battle of the Sexes’ racket ($125,000).
Since turning pro in 2001, Nadal has always used Babolat as his go-to racket. The Spaniard’s most famous racket was the Babolat AeroPro Drive, which he employed from 2005 to 2015. The specs and design of the racket ensured that he could heave through balls with loads of topspin, contributing to his dominance on clay courts.
The 2007 edition of the French Open saw the 22-time Grand Slam winner in tenacious form, as he dropped only one set en route his third title in Paris. He defeated Novak Djokovic in the semifinals in straight sets before getting the better of Roger Federer in four sets in the final.
With such big names on his list of vanquished opponents, it was hardly surprising that Rafael Nadal’s Babolat AeroPro Drive racket fetched $118,206 at the Prestige Memorabilia’s The Tennis Auction. The racket was showcased at the Australian Tennis Museum before going under the hammer on January 29, as per Marca.
For academic purposes, here is a table listing the players that the Spaniard beat during Roland Garros in 2007:
Rafael Nadal’s 2007 Babolat racket more valuable than Novak Djokovic’s 2016 Roland Garros-winning Head
Novak Djokovic’s 2016 French Open-winning Head Speed Graphene Touch PT113B was also sold at an auction nearly two months ago. The Serb’s racket raked in $107,482, which is about $10,000 less than the price at which his archrival’s Babolat racket from 2007 was sold this week.
Novak Djokovic’s campaign for his maiden Roland Garros title saw him beat top players such as Roberto Bautista Agut, Tomas Berdych, Dominic Thiem and Andy Murray.
Billie Jean King’s Wilson racket from her famous 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes’ encounter against Bobby Riggs remains the second most expensive racket to date, fetching a price tag of $125,000 at New York’s Bonhams auction house. The American is one of the greatest players in history, having won 12 Grand Slam titles in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles.
