As the world's best tennis players prepare to compete in the most prestigious clay court tournament at
Roland Garros, let's look at some of the racquet choices of the top players on tour.
HEAD
On the men's side, world number one
Novak Djokovic endorses the HEAD Speed tennis racquet. Novak recently made the move to the HEAD Speed Legend, a glossy black version of the 2024 Speed. Djokovic is not the only Speed demon on tour.
He is joined by an incredibly in-form
Jannik Sinner who has been crushing tennis balls and the competition in 2024. The Speed racquets combine use their slightly thicker cross section (23MM) and aerodynamic Speed shaft to give players a strong blend of power, control, and the aforementioned spin. The MP version is lighter and more spin friendly, and the Pro model features a dense 18x20 string pattern. The Speed series has been HEAD's most popular racquet for several generations now.
The HEAD Radical series is entering its third decade, and
Taylor Fritz and
Sloane Stephens endorse the Radical because they win points in a lot of different ways.
We would be remiss if we didn't mention two of the games biggest bashers,
Alexander Zverev and
Andrey Rublev playing with the HEAD Gravity Pro. This racquet has a thin beam and sturdy 11.1 ounce weight which make it very stable against the biggest hitters on tour. The 18x20 string pattern provides pinpoint accuracy. The Gravity series features a massive sweet spot closer to the top of the head for added forgiveness.
Babolat
Babolat's Pure Aero racquets are endorsed on tour by
Carlos Alcaraz,
Holger Rune, and
Felix Auger-Aliassime (Aero 98).
The key feature of the Aero models is the aeromodular beam. The wing-shaped shaft helps players move the racquets through the air more quickly, providing some extra help for players trying to generate every last ounce of spin. The latest iterations are more comfortable than ever with the insertion of NF2 flax fibers in key portions of the racquet head.
Don't sleep on the best clay court player of all time
Rafael Nadal, who is using his signature Pure Aero Rafa. While the Pure Aero Rafa shares a similar look, this one harkens back to the first Aeropro Drive with a more raw and powerful feeling. For those who are so inclined, the Origin model is the closest thing you can buy to what Rafa uses on court. But buyer beware, this racquet is a beast.
Yonex
Yonex's PERCEPT racquets are carried on tour by star American France Tiafoe and top ten player
Hubert Hurkacz. The PERCEPT offers the most control of any Yonex frame and they incorporate the SERVO FILTER. A transparent and elastic film placed between graphite layers helps bond the layers while maintaining its elastic characteristics. This unique film also absorbs unwanted vibrations, providing multiple benefits to the racquet. A huge change from the VCORE PRO series is the absence of Vibration Dampening Mesh which was a little muted. The PERCEPT models provide plenty of comfort, but they also help you feel the ball on the strings for a more connected response. The 97 square-inch version gets the most publicity, but the 100 and new 100D are excellent frames as well.
Yonex continues its strong tour presence with Elena
Rybakina and
Tommy Paul using VCORE 7th Gen racquets. The VCORE received an updated head shape which increases forgiveness higher up in the head. Top ranked Americans
Jessica Pegula and
Ben Shelton torture the competition with the EZONE 7th gen racquets. The EZONE has been dubbed the "EZ one" by Yonex because the racquets are easy to pick up and play. The new Aqua Night Black looks fantastic and it offers the rare combination of precision and power.
Wilson
In 2024, Wilson unveiled their Blade v9 tennis racquets. Reigning Australian Open champion
Aryna Sabalenka destroys tennis balls with her Blade 98 (18x20).
Tsitsipas utilizes his all-court prowess with Blade 98 (18x20) and maybe the tour's fastest player,
Alex de Minaur wins excruciating rallies with the Blade 98 (16x19). With the v9 Blades, Wilson took a very comfortable racquet and made it more stable and powerful with StableFeel technology. The new models feature a redesigned headguard with a staple to make installation easier and improve the fit of the head guard.
Competitive players will love the improved spec tolerance, which means all the blade models are much more consistent to their target spec. This is perfect if you want to by more than one racquet. Other top 20 Blade users include
Madison Keys, Elina Svitolina, Ugo Humbert, and
Karen Khachanov.
Tecnifibre
The Uber-consistent
Daniil Medvedev grinds opponents into dust with his Tecnifibre T-Fight 305. Oh and
Iga Swiatek, ever heard of her? She goes to battle wielding the T-Fight 300. The latest T-Fights, feature progressive stiffness all around the frame and associated with each string in order to standardize the size to increase tolerance and stability on impact. This Isoflex technology paired with their RS beam design give the T-Fights some nice punching power. Iga Swiatek made headlines early this year when the reigning number one switched racquets to the T-Fight 300. Update, she is still world number 1!
Make sure to check
Tennis Express for all your gear wants and needs. Our racquet demo program is a great way to find the best racquet for your game.
