Wilson Pro Staff
The Wilson Pro Staff series is one of the most iconic lines in tennis history, celebrated for its precision, control, and classic design. As a collector and long-time tennis player, I’ve always admired how these racquets combine stability with feel, rewarding skillful play. Explore the collection below to see these legendary frames up close.

The Wilson Pro Staff – Origins of a Legend

The name Pro Staff existed long before graphite.

In the wooden era, Wilson already used the term for its highest-quality frames, such as the Jack Kramer Pro Staff. It signified something simple but powerful: this is our best racket, made for serious players. 

But the true story of the Pro Staff as we know it today begins in 1983.

At that time, tennis was in transition. Wood was still present, metal rackets existed, and early graphite designs were emerging. Into this landscape, Wilson introduced a new concept: a racket built from braided graphite and aramid (Kevlar). 

This construction was revolutionary.

It combined:

- the feel and control players loved from wood

- with the stability and strength of modern materials

From the very beginning, the Pro Staff stood out. It was not designed for everyone, but for players who could generate their own power and demanded precision.

The Birth of an Icon

The early Pro Staff models quickly evolved, with the most famous version emerging in the mid-1980s: the Pro Staff Original 6.0 85. 

This racket defined the identity of the line:

small head size

thin box beam

head-light balance

unmatched feel and control

It was not forgiving.

But in the right hands, it was extraordinary.

The Players Who Made It Legendary

What truly elevated the Pro Staff was not just its design, but the players who chose it.

Names like:

Pete Sampras

Jim Courier 

Stefan Edberg

Roger Federer

These players didn’t just use the Pro Staff — they defined eras with it. 

Especially Sampras, who famously used the Pro Staff 85 throughout his entire career, turned the racket into a symbol of pure, attacking tennis.

Why It Became Legendary

The Pro Staff became iconic for a simple reason:

It never tried to make the game easier.

It demanded more from the player — and rewarded it.

Precision over power

Feel over forgiveness

Technique over technology

Even as rackets became larger, lighter and more powerful, the Pro Staff retained its identity. That consistency is why, more than 40 years after its introduction, it is still one of the most recognizable racket lines in tennis. 

A Bridge Between Eras

In many ways, the Pro Staff is the missing link between wood and modern tennis.

It carried forward:

the control and touch of wooden rackets

into the graphite age

And that is perhaps why it resonates so strongly with collectors and purists.

Jack Kramer Staff Midsize 85 (St. Vincent, 1987) – Iconic, control-oriented, independent of the Pro Staff line (256 g)

Wilson Pro Staff Midsize 85 (Taiwan, early 1980s) – Compact, precise, used by Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, and Jim Courier (357 g)

Wilson Pro Staff Midplus 95 (mid-1980s) – Slightly larger sweet spot, stable (348 g)

Wilson Pro Staff Midplus 95 6.0 (mid-1980s) – Slightly larger sweet spot, stable (344 g)

Wilson Pro Staff Classic 6.0 – 95 (late 1980s) – Larger head, still Classic Pro Staff feel, used by Stefan Edberg (365 g)

Wilson Pro Staff Classic 6.0 – 95 (late 1980s) – Larger head, slightly different look, still Classic Pro Staff feel (358 g)

Wilson Pro Staff Classic Beam in the old classic look with the yellow and red strips, but different material so surely also a different feel (344 g)

Wilson Pro Staff Classic Beam 6.6 Tour Classic – Stars and stripes design, endorsed by Jim Courier, slightly modified balance and stiffness (350 g)

Wilson Pro Staff RF97 (modern) – Powerful midplus frame, endorsed by Roger Federer, continuing the Pro Staff lineage (355 g)