What Gear Does Aryna Sabalenka Actually Play With?

Aryna Sabalenka hits the ball harder than almost anyone else in the women's game, and her gear setup is built to hold up to that kind of power. Here's a full breakdown of her racquet, string, grip, and shoe setup, along with the story of how she became the most dominant player on tour.

The Rise: Power With a Plan

For years, Sabalenka's story was about raw firepower first and control second. That has changed. Her serve, once a liability under pressure, has turned into one of the best weapons in the sport, and her ability to play more consistent tennis over a full match has caught up to the ball-striking that made her famous in the first place. The result is a player who no longer just overwhelms opponents in flashes. She wears them down over three sets.

2026 has been the clearest proof of that shift. Sabalenka became just the fifth woman in history to complete the Sunshine Double, winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back, and the first player, man or woman, to do it in both singles and doubles in the same season. She also broke a Grand Slam record most fans thought was untouchable, winning 20 consecutive tiebreaks at majors and passing Novak Djokovic for the most in history.

Style-wise, Sabalenka is still built around hitting through the court rather than around it. She takes the ball early, stands inside the baseline whenever she can, and looks to end points before a rally has a chance to develop. It is a high-risk game, and there have been stretches in her career where the errors piled up along with the winners. What separates the current version of Sabalenka is how rarely that trade-off costs her anymore.

Just Launched: The Saby Tiger Blade

Wilson just released Sabalenka's own signature cosmetic today, the Blade 98 16x19 v10 Tiger Edition, a follow-up to the flame-and-tiger "Fighter Edition" the two co-designed for the 2025 US Open. It carries her tiger tattoo motif on the throat and the same bold, fiery colorway Sabalenka helped design herself, built on the 16x19 pattern rather than the 18x20 she plays on tour, which makes it a livelier, easier-swinging option for shoppers who want the look and identity of her frame without the demands of the denser pattern.

Under the tiger-print cosmetic, the racquet is built on the same 16x19 v10 platform Wilson released across the whole Blade line this year. Wilson raised the beam height in the upper hoop by about 1mm compared to the v9, adding a subtle taper toward the head that improves stability and adds a bit of effortless power for extra aggression on big swings. The layup was also upgraded, and Wilson says the result is roughly 3 degrees of torsional stability, among the best in the category, without losing the connected Blade feel. The open 16x19 string pattern leaves more room for power and spin than the 18x20 Sabalenka plays on tour, which is part of what makes this edition a friendlier option for club-level swings while still carrying her signature look.

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Her Tour Frame: Wilson Blade 98 18x20 v10

Away from the cameras, Sabalenka has played Wilson's Blade since she was a teenager, and in 2026 she made the switch to the newest version of the frame, the Blade 98 18x20 v10. It is the tenth generation of the racquet family, and the first to introduce Wilson's TurboTaper beam, a design that thickens toward the head to add stability and a bit of extra pop without giving up the connected, control-first feel the Blade has always been known for.

The 18x20 pattern is the denser of the two Blade 98 options, built for players who flatten the ball out and want precision over spin. That fits Sabalenka's game, since so much of her offense comes from taking the ball early and driving through it rather than shaping heavy topspin from well behind the baseline.

If you want to get as close as possible to her actual tour setup, the retail Blade 98 18x20 v10 is the starting point. Pair it with her string and grip choices below and you're playing a version of the same frame she brings onto tour. Read our full Wilson Blade 98 18x20 v10 review for a deeper look at how the frame plays.

Rounding out the setup, Sabalenka strings a full bed of Luxilon ALU Power and wraps the handle in a Wilson Pro Overgrip Perforated. Reported tension sits in the low 50s, tour-level tight for a full poly setup, so club and college-level players chasing the same feel will usually get more comfort and consistent depth stringing several pounds lower.

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Shoes: Nike Zoom Vapor 12

On her feet, Sabalenka plays in the Nike Zoom Vapor 12, part of Nike's speed-focused Vapor line and a shoe that has its own signature Sabalenka colorway. It's built for quick first steps and low-to-the-ground stability, which suits a player who plans to take the ball early and close off the court as fast as possible.

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Apparel and the Kits

Sabalenka has been a Nike athlete for nearly a decade, and unlike some of the tour's biggest names, she has not had a signature apparel line of her own. That has made the reveal of each new tournament kit into its own moment on social media, from a custom red-and-black Roland Garros look to New York-themed pieces for the US Open.

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