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Many collectors are always looking for the object of their dreams. This also applies to tennis. And this is where the famous Prestige Memorabilia auction house – which deals with the sale of iconic tennis items that belong to the greatest champions of the game – comes into play.
We are talking about memorabilia that witnessed impossible achievers, unforgettable milestones and moments that entered tennis history. The latest of which is the racket that Roger Federer used to win Wimbledon 2006 (Read here to find out more).
Following up our $118k Nadal racket from the Australian Tennis Museum: Federer’s 2006 Racket, also from the museum. Bidding open March 6th – 24th at pic.twitter.com/mMWitSzNoc
— Prestige Memorabilia (@PrestigeMem) March 5, 2024
Prestige Memorabilia is the world’s leading source for high end tennis memorabilia. Founded in 2015, we have served countless satisfied collectors. From helping curate significant private collections to guiding first time buyers, we strive to meet every collector’s unique needs with a personal touch and customized experience.
Prestige offers the finest tennis memorabilia in existence, from autographed items from the world’s top players to unreleased pro stock tennis rackets. We encourage you to reach out so we can help you have the best experience possible.
In an interview kindly given to Tennis World USA, we discover the secrets behind the buying and selling of such iconic and legendary tennis objects.
Roger Federer’s racket is just the latest top item to be auctioned by Prestige Memorabilia. What were the three memorabilia sold for the highest price, in your history?
“We recently sold Rafael Nadal’s 2007 racket for over $118,000. Some of the highest tennis memorabilia sales include Rafael Nadal’s 2022 racket for $140,000 and Billie Jean King’s racket she used in the Battle against Bibby Riggs for $125,000.”
How do you become an auction house specializing in the sale of tennis items? What was the key to your success?
“We have been lucky to have a very large following of serious collectors and tennis fans from over the years of selling tennis memorabilia. It made sense to create an auction so that collectors could all have a chance to buy and sell the rarest tennis memorabilia in the world.”
How does the choice of items to sell at auction work? With what criteria are the memorabilia chosen?
“Of course, we look for items from the most accomplished and most popular players; that obviously centers around Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Serena, and other stars. We also want to see items with a great story, linked to a great moment that fans can remember. For example, that might be a racket used to hit a famous “tweener,” or perhaps a pair of shoes worn at Wimbledon. And then of course, we need to see that the items are clearly authentic and we draw upon our years of expertise to ensure this.”
Who are the customers who approach Prestige Memorabilia and purchase the most expensive items?
“Some people are just massive fans of tennis or a specific player like Nadal, while others focus on collecting the rarest items from many sports.”
Where does the passion and business in selling high quality tennis memorabilia come from?
“We have been fans of the game for decades and that is what primarily inspired this passion. It’s unbelievable to be able to see items from some of the greatest athletes of all time, linked to some of the most historic moments in our sport. The items we are able to auction are just so rare, often times they are 1 of 1 in the world.”
Can you give us some previews of the future top tennis items that will go up for auction?
“We are hoping to sell some items from Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner soon! But items we are able to auction often as a surprise.”
The last iconic jewel on Prestige Memorabilia
About the Roger Federer’s 2006 tennis racket, actually at the auction on Prestige Memorabilia, we can read on the statement of the website:
“Federer’s N-Code pro stock racket from his 2006 season carries all of his distinguishing and unique racket customizations. Small leather power pads are in the throat of the racket, which separate the strings from the grommet. Tiny plastic string savers are present on the string bed. And of course, the racket has a 90 square-inch head, as he didn’t switch to the 97 square-inch until 2014
In 2006, Federer won 12 titles, including Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the US Open, and the ATP Tour Finals. With an unbelievable match record of 92-5, many consider this to be the greatest tennis season of all time.
Like Nadal’s racket from our last auction, this racket was previously housed in the Australian Tennis Museum as part of eight-time Grand Slam champion Ken Rosewall’s personal collection. The recent closure of the museum–to be converted into a gymnasium– has allowed collectors this amazing opportunity. Federer autographed the racket on the grip as well as the frame. The racket is accompanied by a photo of Rosewall with Federer and Tiger Woods in 2006, which has been signed by both Rosewall and Federer. The racket remains in the original frame that it had in the museum, and has been signed twice by Federer.”