Yoshihito Nishioka Racquet – What Does He Use?

Being the heir of Kei Nishikori, Yoshihito is a talented Japanese tennis player, who despite being short, produces a high level on the court. He can really hurt his opponents with his penetrating and deep strokes.

Nishioka has already won some titles on the ATP level and entered the Top 40 in 2023.

Yoshihito Nishioka plays with the latest Yonex VCORE 98 racquet.

Nishioka Racquet Specs

Nishioka recently switched to the 2023 version of the Yonex VCORE 98 after testing for quite a while in a blacked-out frame.

He seems satisfied with the feel and the control of the new stick. The VCORE is also known for delivering good power and spin.

The new model has seen a major change in the shape of the head. It is even rounder than the previous ISOMETRIC design. Yonex says it offers more forgiveness, a bigger spin window, and a better feel for the shots.

Also, the strings appear to be spaced out hence offering even more spin potential.

Yonex lowered the stiffness of the racquet by implementing FlexForce Graphite in the upper shaft and the lower hoop. As a result, the new VCORE 98 is easy to maneuver but stable at the same time.

As for Nishioka’s specs, he appears to add lead tape to his racquet at 12 o’clock so maybe 5 to 10 grams more weight than the stock 305gr/10.8oz you get, and also more Swingweight.

Overall, the Yonex VCORE 98 2023 is a superb do-it-all racquet that gives you a blend of power, spin, control, and a nice feel.

Specs

Head size	98 sq in
Length	27in
Unstrung weight	10.8oz / 305gr
Stiffness	62
String pattern	16×19

Nishioka Racquet Strings

Nishioka currently strings his racquet using:

VS natural gut in the mains

Yonex Polytour Spin in the crosses

This is a good setup for players looking for the additional power and comfort of the natural gut, along with the control and spin of the poly strings.