Nadal's 2017 French Open racket sells for record $157K at auction
A racket Rafael Nadal used during his win at the 2017 French Open sold for a record price over the weekend.
The Babolat racket fetched $157,333.20 at a Prestige Memorabilia auction on Sunday, making it the most expensive racket ever sold, according to ESPN's Dan Hajducky. The previous record belonged to another Nadal racket from his final Grand Slam title at the 2022 Australian Open, which sold for $139,700 in 2023.
Nadal defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3, 6-1 in 2017 to capture his record-extending 10th French Open championship and 15th major title. He went on to win another four French Open titles before retiring from tennis in 2024.
Ending Sunday at https://t.co/3yeJqcaaSF - Nadal's 2017 French Open final racket, phomatched to 27 dates! The most extensively photomatched racket to come to auction pic.twitter.com/eSoiuBNlsv
— Prestige Memorabilia (@PrestigeMem) June 6, 2025
The custom-made French Open racket was photomatched to 24 different matches across Nadal's 2017 season, including his Miami Open final against Roger Federer and the Madrid Open final. It features his "Rafa" emblem on the throat and still has clay stains on the overgrip.