Naomi Osaka Racket

Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player who has won seven WTA titles including four grand slam singles titles (two US Opens (2018 and 2020) and two Australian Opens (2019 and 2021).

This article will look at what racket Osaka is playing with in 2023 as well as looking at what strings, tension, grip size, and vibration dampener Naomi uses.

Naomi Osaka Racket

Naomi Osaka Racket – Yonex Ezone 98

Naomi Osaka is currently endorsing a customized version of the Yonex Ezone 98 tennis racket which is called the Osaka Ezone 98.

OSAKA EZONE 98

Naomi along with her sister (Mari Osaka) collaborated with Yonex to design the racket that was released as a limited edition of the Ezone 98 in 2022.

The racket that Naomi actually plays with is the Yonex Ai 98, which is an older Ezone tennis racket that offers lots of control, spin, and power.

Rackets Specs

Osaka’s exact specs are not publicly available but it is believed her specs are similar to the retail version of the Yonex Ai 98 with her version being slightly heavier due to the addition of lead tape.

Below are the specs for the retail versions of the Yonex Ai 98 and Ezone 98.

Ai 98 vs Ezone 98 – Comparison

Specs:Ai 98Ezone 98
Head Size (sq cm)632632
Head Size (sq in)9898
Length (cm)68.5868.58
Length (in)2727
String Pattern16 x 1916 x 19
HL or HH1HLHL
Strung Balance (pts)56
Strung Weight (grams)326320
Strung Weight (ounces)11.511.3
Swing Weight322315
Frame Stiffness6365
Beam Width (mm)23.0/24.0/19.523.5/24.5/19.5

Main Differences: The Ai 98 has a less head light balance (5pts HL vs 6pts HL), a heavier strung weight (326g vs 320g), a heavier swing weight (322 vs 315), a lower frame stiffness rating (63 vs 65) and a slightly thinner beam width (23.0mm/24.0mm/19.5mm vs 23.5mm/24.5mm/19.5mm).

Grip size

Like many other pros on the WTA Tour, Naomi Osaka uses a 4 and 3/8 grip size.

Strings

Osaka has a hybrid setup for her strings with Yonex Poly Tour Strike 125 (polyester monofilament) in the mains and Babolat VS Touch 16g (Natural Gut) in the Crosses.

String Tension

The general consensus online is that she strings her rackets at a tension of 59 lbs in the mains and 56 lbs in the crosses.

Vibration Dampener

Yes, like many other tennis pros, she plays with a vibration dampener in her strings.

From looking at close-up pictures of her frame, it looks like she is using a Yonex Vibration Stopper Dampener.

Can you buy Osaka’s tennis racket online?

Yes, You can find Naomi’s racket for sale on most good online shops including through the official Yonex website.