Behind the Scenes at Wimbledon: How Babolat’s Elite Stringing Team Keeps Tennis’ Biggest Stars Match Ready
When the world’s best players step onto the pristine grass courts at Wimbledon, every detail matters. While fans focus on thunderous serves, breathtaking rallies, and championship moments, another world-class team is working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure every racquet performs to perfection.
As the Official Partner and Official Stringer of Wimbledon, Babolat plays a vital role in the success of every player competing across the singles, doubles, wheelchair, and junior draws. From the opening day through Championship Weekend, the company’s highly specialized stringing team prepares thousands of racquets with unmatched precision, helping athletes perform at their very best on one of tennis’ fastest and most demanding surfaces.
More Than 6,000 Racquets Prepared During Wimbledon
Each year, Babolat strings and prepares more than 6,000 racquets throughout The Championships, with demand regularly exceeding 600 racquets in a single day.
To meet this enormous workload, an international team of 20 to 25 professional stringers travels from countries including France, Brazil, Japan, the United States, and many others. Their expertise is spread across Wimbledon’s three primary stringing locations:
- Aorangi Park
- Raynes Park
- Roehampton
Every racquet receives meticulous attention, ensuring identical feel, tension, and consistency for the players who rely on them in the sport’s biggest moments.
Grass-court tennis presents unique challenges. Weather conditions can change quickly throughout the day, with temperature and humidity directly affecting string tension. As a result, players often make last-minute adjustments, requiring the Babolat team to deliver flawless service under tight deadlines.
Meet Josh Newton: One of Tennis’ Most Trusted Stringing Experts
Among this year’s Wimbledon stringing team is Josh Newton, one of the most respected racquet technicians in professional tennis.
Newton has spent nearly 15 years working on the ATP and WTA Tours, preparing racquets for many of the game’s biggest stars. His résumé includes becoming the first American to lead the stringing team at Roland Garros, where he famously prepared racquets for Rafael Nadal during the Spaniard’s historic 11th French Open title in 2018.
Today, Newton serves as a Stringing & Machines Specialist at Babolat, bringing years of elite experience back to Wimbledon.
Wimbledon by the Numbers
The scale of racquet preparation during The Championships is staggering.
How many racquets will Babolat string this year?
“We expect to do well over 6,000 frames this year. Last year we strung over 6,100.”
That level of production requires remarkable consistency. Every racquet prepared for a player must feel virtually identical to the others in their bag, regardless of when it was strung.
The Lowest and Highest String Tensions on Tour
Professional players use an incredible range of string tensions depending on their playing style, racquet, and court conditions.
According to Newton:
- Lowest tension: Just over 9 kilograms for Adrian Mannarino.
- Highest tension: 40 kilograms for Barbora Strycova.
This enormous range highlights just how personalized every professional racquet setup has become.
What Strings Do the Pros Use?
Modern professional tennis has largely shifted toward polyester strings because they generate exceptional spin, durability, and control.
Newton estimates that:
- 55–60% of professional players use full polyester string beds.
- Most of the remaining players use a hybrid setup, combining polyester with natural gut.
One of the most popular combinations continues to feature Babolat VS Touch natural gut, long regarded as one of the finest natural gut strings in tennis thanks to its exceptional feel, comfort, and power.
Every Player Has Their Own Routine
While fans often wonder whether professionals use unusual stringing patterns or secret equipment setups, Newton says timing is often more important than the setup itself.
“The biggest requests we receive are to string racquets as close as possible to match time,” he explains.
Some players request their racquets be completed exactly two hours before stepping on court, allowing the strings to settle before competition begins.
Other requests involve cosmetic details, including precisely how the famous Babolat stencil is applied to the strings.
These seemingly minor details help players maintain consistency and confidence before every match.
Speed Matters—But Quality Matters More
Despite the intense workload, speed never comes at the expense of quality.
Newton averages approximately 15 minutes to string each racquet, while his personal fastest time is just over 10 minutes.
However, he emphasizes that precision—not speed—is the true priority.
Every racquet belonging to a player must feel exactly the same, ensuring there are no surprises during a match when switching to a fresh frame.
Precision Behind Every Championship
While Wimbledon is celebrated for its tradition, iconic Centre Court, and legendary champions, success also depends on the specialists working behind the scenes.
From carefully calibrated string tensions to perfectly timed racquet deliveries, Babolat’s international stringing team provides one of the tournament’s most essential services.
As players battle for one of tennis’ most prestigious titles, they do so knowing every racquet has been prepared with the same level of excellence, precision, and craftsmanship that has made Babolat an indispensable part of Wimbledon for years.
For fans watching around the world, the next blistering forehand winner or perfectly placed ace may begin long before first serve—with the expert hands of Babolat’s world-class stringing team.
