Its aim is to increase this to 100%. In China, the company is trialing recycling old tennis and badminton racket strings to make polyester used in apparel for players, Chiba added.

Polyester strings are celebrated for their durability, control, and spin production. They’re manna for heavy-hitting baseliners. However, there are two noticeable drawbacks to the strings.

A relatively unheralded Brazilian, Gustavo Kuerten, took the French Open title—his first of three—with a brand-new product in his Head racket: Belgium-made Luxilon polyester string.