Rod Laver’s racquets were a reminder that tennis used to demand a very different kind of swing. During Laver Cup London 2026, Andy Murray sat down with Laver and discussed just how much the equipment and playing conditions have changed since the 1960s.
The most striking detail was the weight. Laver used racquets that were over 400 grams, far heavier than today’s 310-gram frames. Murray said it was amazing how much technique had to be adjusted and joked that players in that era had to have huge forearms. Laver’s answer was simple: with those racquets, “it’s not going anywhere.”
Murray also said he and his brother “looked like we were playing in slow motion” when they tried older frames, adding that the experience made it clear how precise players had to be. “You have to hit a lot flatter, more accurate, more precise,” Murray said. “I like that.”
What Laver had to manage with older equipment
The conversation helped put Laver’s achievements into sharper focus. He won the calendar-year grand slam in 1962 and again in 1969, doing so with racquets and balls that changed the rhythm of the sport. Murray noted that the old gear required players to use what they had, while Laver explained the physical toll of the heavier frames.
Laver said the racquets tired his arm and that timing had to be perfect. He added that players had to “go get it,” a reminder that the game demanded discipline, quick adjustment and clean contact. Murray’s takeaway was straightforward: “It’s changed a lot.”
Voices from the Laver Cup
The equipment discussion was part of a broader set of reflections from Laver Cup voices on team competition and leadership. On Saturday’s Served podcast, Pat Rafter said Team World in his generation would have been strong and noted that playing for teammates is very different from playing for yourself. On Sunday’s Served podcast, Tim Henman looked back on Team Europe and praised Carlos Alcaraz and Yannick Noah, saying Noah had been “absolutely incredible” in San Francisco.
Henman also highlighted Noah’s “IQ and his EQ,” pointing to the emotional intelligence he brought in dealing with different players, nationalities and personalities. That kind of insight fits the larger point of the weekend: the Laver Cup is not only about individual talent, but also about how players and captains respond to changing eras, roles and pressures.
In that sense, the exchange between Murray and Laver was more than a nostalgia trip. It showed just how far tennis has come, and why Laver’s success with equipment that heavy remains part of the sport’s most impressive history.
