Condition

10

10: New
9: Mint
8: Excellent
7: Good
6: Fair
5: Average
4: Below Average
3: Poor

| Rarity

9

10: Impossibly rare
9: Extremely rare
8: Hard to find
7: Fairly rare
6: Uncommon
5: Common
<4: Big Seller

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About This Racket

Just when you though Slazenger couldn’t get any better they come out with this! It is likely a close cousin of the top of the range Slazenger’s Graphite 100 which itself was Slazenger’s attempt to improve on the astonishing Challenge No.1. The No 1 tennis racket was one of the most iconic tennis rackets ever made and used by more Grand Slam winners than any other racket in history. Its construction was based around Canadian high quality Ash, laminated. This model has a stunning polished lamination, gray red and blue shoulder and embossed leather grip.

This particular racket is fairly rare and likely produced in the early 70s. In 1975, Manuel Orantes won the US Open at the Forest Hills Courts with his iconic Slazenger Challenge nº 1 wooden racket. From about 1974 there followed a couple of variants, the less common challenge no 3 and this incredible Challenge Bi-Hander which had an especially long grip. Two handed backhands were just catching on, but were still rare in 1970s.

Challenge No.1 was meant to be replaced in 1980 by the Challenge 100 but was still was sold for a few more years in many local stores. The 100 had enhanced construction with Maple, Ash, Leatheroid Fibre, Walnut, Beech, reinforced with Glass Fibre. In 1981 there was a big leap when they released the Vilas open throat frame quickly followed by the V24 but the writing was on the wall for wooden rackets and indeed for the iconic Slazenger brand in general.

Historic Gallery

Specifications (👋 not yet accurate….check back soon)

About Slazenger

The history of Slazenger is a significant and storied one, closely intertwined with the development and growth of tennis, as well as other sports, through its innovative equipment and strategic marketing. Starting in the mid-1880s, Slazenger UK branched out from its successful military clothing business to promote sporting goods, including tennis, cricket, and football equipment. The company quickly capitalized on the burgeoning popularity of tennis in the UK, producing boxed tennis sets and partnering with key players like William Renshaw, a six-time Wimbledon champion, to boost their brand.Slazenger’s tennis balls began production in 1877, but it wasn’t until 1902 that they became the official ball of Wimbledon, a partnership that has lasted over a century. The company expanded its reach internationally, notably to Australia, where it established a significant presence by the early 1900s. Slazenger opened an Australian factory in 1928 to manufacture rackets and later added cricket bat production. Despite setbacks like the 1932 factory fire and a devastating hailstorm in the late 1990s, Slazenger maintained its production and innovation in Australia.The company was known for its aggressive marketing strategies, including player endorsements and junior tennis development programs. This practice not only promoted their products but also helped maintain player fitness and visibility through exhibition matches. Slazenger’s investment in young talent paid off, particularly in the 1950s, with players like John Newcombe endorsing their products.In the 1930s, Slazenger introduced the “Floating Power” rackets, featuring mercury in the handle to enhance racket weight at the point of impact, a concept initially attempted in the UK in 1889. The company also experimented with unique designs like the famous “All White” racket used by Fred Perry in the 1934 Australian Championships.The post-war era saw the introduction of the “Challenge” racket, made from Canadian Ash, which became popular among club players until the mid-1970s. Despite fierce competition and technological advancements in racket materials in the 1980s, Slazenger maintained its reputation, particularly for its high-quality tennis balls.In 1958/59, Dunlop acquired Slazenger, allowing it to operate independently, and between 1960 and 1973, Slazenger rackets won a significant number of Grand Slam events. However, by the mid-1980s, racket production in Australia had ceased due to competitive pressures and the shift to manufacturing in Asia.

Gallery

Timeline of Slazenger