“The string is like the engine in a car”

Last modified on17 June 2025

Often underestimated, often neglected and simply too complicated for many tennis players
- according to Frank Messerer, far too little attention is paid to the subject of stringing. Messerer was superstar Roger Federer's private stringer for twelve years and has been working on the stringing machine for 35 years.

When asked whether it is exhausting to string 20 to 30 rackets a day, he answers dryly: “That's my life”. As a passionate stringer, Messerer is there for everyone. During the tournament week in June at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle/Westphalia, the daily workload was particularly sporty: Messerer and his five colleagues started at 7 o'clock in the morning and the last one turned off the lights half an hour after midnight.

Good stringing is very individual

Not only were the wishes of the professionals fulfilled down to the smallest detail - Germany's exceptional player Alexander Zverev had 48 rackets strung by the middle of the week alone - an additional 100 to 150 customer rackets are also fitted into the machines every day. There is practically never a dull moment for Messerer and his team.

For him, it's all about individuality “There are big differences: whether you're a child or a senior, what type of player, what kind of racket - people want to get the best out of their equipment.” The wishes and requirements are very diverse. “Some customers have problems with their arm or shoulder. Then you definitely use a hybrid string. This means: long string harder, short strings softer - this increases the sweet spot and relieves the arm,” explains Messerer.

However, there are also many players who want more power and spin and spin. The rule of thumb here is: “If you want a lot of power, string harder.” This also applies to the pros in Halle. Messerer knows that the devil is in the detail: “When it was warm, we strung harder. Then we went softer again. We test every day, depending on the weather.” Other players, on the other hand, prefer durability, comfort and control.

Do it like the pros - hybrid stringing is all the rage

Alexander Zverev is particularly sensitive. “He has only gone up by 0.2 kg with his standard string hardness of 22.1/23.1kg. Others vary between 0.5 and 1 kg.” However, it is not only the
string hardness that is decisive, but also the material of the string. Whether with natural gut, monofiber,
polyfiber or hybrid - there are many ways to string your racket.

Olympic champion Zverev, for example, plays hybrid - polyester lengthwise, gut crosswise. This corresponds to the general development of hybrid strings, which are becoming more and more popular. The professionals often serve as pioneers and role models. The young generation around Denis Shapovalov and Casper Ruud, for example, rely on square long strings and smooth cross strings. “This is now becoming more and more of a hype,” emphasizes Messerer.

For the expert, it is particularly important to communicate directly with customers on site. The topic is often underestimated or underappreciated, Messerer criticizes. “People only understand how important good stringing is here.” Educational work is therefore necessary and also desired by many amateur players.

Good stringing is still too often underestimated

Messerer illustrates this with an apt comparison: "The string is like the engine in a car, the frame is the bodywork." This applies to both professionals and club players. Messerer makes no difference whether he is nimbly handing "Sascha" Zverev his freshly strung racket over the railing during a side change on the center court, handing Stefanos Tsitsipas' father Apostolos the new rackets for his son or advising a recreational player. It is important to him that awareness and appreciation of good stringing become much more of a focus for every tennis player.

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