Dunlop FX Team 260 Tennis Racket

Blue/Black

British stalwarts Dunlop possess one of the most recognisable logos in the game: the energetic “Flying D” has flashed through the air at tennis courts around the world since the 1960s. But their history goes back much further. All the way to 1888 and founder John Boyd Dunlop’s invention of the rubber pneumatic tyre for bicycles, a revolutionary development with all kinds of applications.

A few decades later, having initially entered the world of sport by producing rubber golf balls, Dunlop turned to tennis, using their expertise in vulcanisation to create some of the first “modern” tennis balls in 1923.

Then came the rackets. Or, more specifically, then came the Maxply. First introduced in 1932, the legendary wooden frame dominated the professional game for the next 50 years. Rod Laver wielded it to win both of his calendar year Grand Slams in the 60s, and it was in the hands of John McEnroe as he secured his Wimbledon and US Open double in 1981. After the Maxply came the carbon fibre Max 150G, and then the 200G – the racket Steffi Graf used to win the Golden Slam in 1988.

Dunlop’s focus extends beyond the pro game, though. In fact, their mission is to share the joy of tennis, giving every player the chance to enjoy the process of getting better, bit by bit, whatever your level.

Following that ethos, their modern range is clearly defined and easy to choose from. You’ve got the CX series for control, the FX for power, and the SX for spin, all available in a selection of weights and headsizes, of course.

Control rackets usually have closed string patterns – essentially, more strings per area – to increase ball contact and give you more control over your shots. They tend to have thinner beams to allow more flex and often utilise material technologies to make you feel more connected to the ball.