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Roger Federer And Wilson Launch RF Classics Rackets
The RF Pro Classics frame offers a tie to Roger Federer's famed 2005 nCode frame.
During the Wilson and Roger Federer launch of the signature RF 01 tennis racket line last year, the 20-time major champion hinted at some unique future projects. Nearly one year later the first of those is here: RF Classics.
In what the brand is calling the next chapter in the RF Collection, Wilson plans a June 27 launch of two rackets linked to the nCode frame Federer used during his dominant run from 2004 through 2006. The RF Classics Collection features a modern interpretation of the nCode design, reimagined on the RF 01 Pro frame released in summer 2024, and a limited-edition straight reissue of the original nCode 90.
'When we launched the RF Collection, we didn't just want to release the racket we were working on with Roger before his retirement, we also saw it as a chance to celebrate some of the most iconic moments from his career,' Michael Schaeffer, Wilson global product director for racket sports, tells me. 'The nCode 90 felt like the perfect starting point.'
The Wilson release includes a straight remake of the 20-year-old frame and a modern interpretation ... More from Roger Federer's RF Classics debut.
Federer agrees. 'I have so many great memories with my Wilson rackets, but the nCode will always stand out,' Federer says. 'It means a lot to bring this piece of my career back for new generations of players and fans.'
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Schaeffer says the nCode is 'tied to some of Federer's most dominant years and with 2025 marking the 20th anniversary of the 2005 season, arguably the most impressive of his career, it just made sense.' In 2005, Federer went 81-4, winning 11 titles and two majors.
The 2025 launch includes the RF 01 Pro Classic, a modern take on the nCode set on the RF 01 Pro frame. 'The game has changed a lot since 2005,' Schaeffer says. 'We wanted to bring the iconic design of the nCode 90 back to life, but in the RF 01, a frame much better suited to today's style of play.'
'Form a design perspective, the goal was to capture the essence of the nCode 90 but merge it with detailing from the RF01,' Schaeffer says about the modern interpretation. 'The result is a frame that reads like the nCode 90 from a distance but features RF 01 touches up close, like the RF logo and modernized fonts. We also added a callout of Roger's 2005 achievements on the inside of the throat as a nod to that historic season.'
The new RF Classics release from Wilson could be the first of more to come.
Those touches come with details. 'It's great working with Roger on projects like this because he's so invested, not just in the product details, but in the storytelling behind them,' Schaeffer says. 'He doesn't just want to create something that looks good; he wants it to mean something.' In one example, Federer asked that the internal stripe on the inside of the hoop be exactly 19mm to reflect the original beam height of the nCode 90. 'That level of thoughtfulness shows how much he cares about honoring the past and getting every detail right,' Schaeffer says.
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At the same time, Wilson knew traditionalists would clamor for the original, so they created a limited number of true reissue frames—the nSix-One Tour 90—to honor the nostalgia. While the RF 01 Pro Classic offers a recreation of the nCode 90 with key elements from the RF 01, the nCode 90 reissue is the same as the one that launched in 2004.
The June launch may be the first RF Classics project from Federer and Wilson, but could more be on the way? 'We certainly hope so,' Schaeffer says. 'Roger's career has so many moments worth celebrating, and the RF Collection gives us a platform to bring those to life in a meaningful way. Whether it's a reissue, a redesign or something in between, there's a lot of storytelling left to do.'
The RF Collection may also present opportunities for fans to get glimpses into Federer's 'design vision' in 'new and creative ways.'
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