Warp

Wooden tennis rackets were made from a living material: Strong, flexible, beautifully crafted — but never completely static.

Over time, a combination of string tension, humidity, temperature changes and storage conditions could cause a racket to deform. This gradual, permanent bending of the frame is known as warp.

This is what can happen when a wooden racket is stored without a press.

Warp is not a defect, nor a sign of poor quality. Even the finest rackets, including legendary models like the Dunlop Maxply, were susceptible to it. In many cases the deformation developed slowly, almost unnoticed, until it became clearly visible when viewed from the side.

This vulnerability is exactly why racket presses were once considered essential equipment. They helped keep the frame flat and stable when the racket was not in use, counteracting the constant pull of the strings and the natural movement of the wood.

A warped racket tells an honest story — not of neglect, but of time, tension and material reality. It is a reminder that wooden rackets were not just sporting tools, but objects that required care, attention and understanding.