‘Now the players grow up with…’ - Former World No. 1 Andy Murray explains why tennis is easier for next generation

Andy Murray, who recently retired from tennis, has explained how the game is easier for the next generation than it was during his time. The British superstar detailed how the new professionals benefited from never having to play with a difficult racket.

For a tennis player, their main weapon is the racket, and the more comfort they get with it, the easier their game becomes. Most manufacturers made tennis rackets out of wood until the 1960s. However, as technology advanced, players had to play with the fibre rackets that today's stars grew up with.

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You have to be more precise with the wooden racket: Murray explains 

Over the course of his illustrious 20-year career, Andy Murray has experienced a huge boom in tennis racket advancements. He noted that the rackets available now are lighter and all shots can be played with ease compared to the wooden rackets used by players back then.

“You have to be more precise with the wooden racket. With the wooden racket (you have to hit the sweet spot). And now the players grow up with these big-headed rackets, and the rackets are a lot lighter now than they used to be,” Murray told the DP World Tour. 

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“So they essentially can swing faster at the ball and it doesn’t matter if you miss the middle of the racket. I mean playing with a wooden racket is so difficult. For certain shots it’s fine, but the way the technique has gone is that guys play with a lot of topspin now. Your swing before had to be back-to-front, now it’s like this (motions swinging up) and if you try that with a wooden racket, with a small head, you will hit the frame," he continued. 

“Serving (was) not too bad because you are in control of that shot as well, it’s the same technique every time. Whereas the other shots change based on, the ball can be low, high, spin, short, deep," the three-time Grand Slam winner added.