Best Racquets for Beginners

Best Racquets for Intermediates

Best Racquets for Advanced Players

A Closer Look at Best Beginner Racquets

If you are just starting your tennis journey, you'll want a light and comfortable racquet that makes learning the game easy. Here are the three racquets you should be looking at.

Why it’s the best: Coming with strings installed, the Head Ti.S6 comes ready to play. It offers ample power and spin, it delivers impressive maneuverability without compromising stability or comfort. This racquet is ideal for beginners looking for an extra large sweetspot.

Why it's the best: This Yonex Ezone Ace comes ready to play with strings coming pre-installed for you. The head size is not quite as large as the Head racquet above, but it still offers a generous hitting area while also offering some good control for your shots. Yonex's Isometric head shape gives it a generous sweetspot, helping to make this Ezone Ace a great option for players learning the game.

Why it’s the best: The O3 Legacy 120 offers a very luxurious hitting experience. As such, it gives the beginner a large margin of error, ensuring that comfort and performance remain high even when contact is less than perfect. It also has Prince’s time-tested O3 Technology, which produces excellent vibration dampening. If you’re looking for pure comfort and easy power, start here.

Why it’s the best: The Clash 108 v2 is the perfect pick for any dedicated beginner who wants a racquet that will reward improvement. This oversized racquet offers an outstanding feel that serves big and feels stable on volleys, while providing a higher level of control compared to its competitors.

Why it’s the best: With bright colors, this Boost Aero Rafa stands out on the court. It has a smaller head size than the other racquets on this list, giving it a bit more control. Still, this racquet is easy to swing and offers easy pace and spin. Plus, as an added bonus, this racquet is inspired by one the game's legends, Rafael Nadal and comes with strings installed.

Looking for more options? Find more on our Beginner Racquets Gear Guide.

A Closer Look at Best Intermediate Racquets

If you're an intermediate player, you will be able to rally with moderate power and consistency. You'll want a racquet that complements your developing style, whether it be grinding out long points from the baseline or banging forehand winners from a dead sprint. Here are the racquets you should be looking at across the most important categories.

Why it’s the best: Since its launch more than 20 years ago, the Pure Drive has become one of the most popular and versatile racquets ever made. Like the Pure Aero, this racquet delivers an easy learning curve to virtually any player who is looking to swing big and load the ball with pace and spin. Although it has inspired an army of clones, the Pure Drive is the undisputed king when it comes to light power frames. Read our full review for more.

Why it’s the best: This racquet was built for the tornadic and angular mechanics of the modern game. Players looking to hit spin-loaded balls that drop hard and explode off the court will love how fast this stick whips through contact. Although it is weighted for intermediate players, the Pure Aero transcends ability level, making it as good for the dedicated beginner as it is for the wily veteran in the market for speed and spin. Read our full review for more details.

Why it's the best: Yonex updated the popular VCORE 100 in 2023, and for our playtesters, this latest version is an improvement on an already great racquet. A couple of them said it is their favourite version yet. This racquet excels at delivering power and spin when you need them. With a redesigned head shape, this version of the racquet offers an even larger sweetspot than past generations. Find out why we loved it so much in our full review.

Why it’s the best: The Head Extreme MP features more maneuverability and an impressive level of spin to create a user-friendly on-court experience. this racquet has Graphene 360+ for enhanced stability, power and feel. Ultimately, this racquet is great for aggressive players looking to load the ball with pace and spin. Read our full review.

Why it's the best: As the lightest member of the Prince Tour family, the Tour 100 (290) delivers the blend of power, control and feel of the line in an easy-to-use package. When our playtesters took this racquet to the courts, they were impressed by its all-around playability. The racquet feels stable for its weight at contact and played well from all areas of the court. Although it's great for intermediate players, we found this racquet would also be a great option for customization as players get stronger and improve. Read our full review for all the details.

Why it's the best: Since its introduction to the market years ago, the Radical MP has undergone some (please pardon the wordplay) radical changes. However, the changes have been more subtle in the last few versions, which is a good thing. This Radical MP offers controllable power and a comfortable response. Our team of playtesters found this racquet to be a good fit for a variety of game styles. Find out more in our full review.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for more control, select a racquet with a more flexible beam and smaller head size. For players with flatter mechanics, a dense string pattern can help with control. For players who hit with spin and higher trajectories, a more open (spin-friendly) string pattern can help with control. You can add control to your current racquet by increasing string tension and/or selecting a firmer string.

Why it’s the best: We went back and forth whether to pick the EZONE 100 or the EZONE 98, and in the end, we went with the EZONE 100 since it's slightly more forgiving and more powerful but still as arm-friendly. Strong intermediates who want just a touch more control and something a little heavier will find it with the EZONE 98. Read more about why we love this racquet in our full review.

Why it's the best: If you're for a power-loaded frame with a uniquely flexible feel, Wilson's Clash 100 v2 is an easy solution. This power-loaded racquet makes it feel easy to hit shots deep into the court and also puts a priority on comfort. Our TW playtesters found this second version to feel a little more stable than the original racquet. Take a deeper dive with our full review of the Clash 100.

Why it's the best: Now in its second version, the CX 400 Tour blends the precision and feel of the CX line, but it also offers power more readily. For 2024, Dunlop redesigned the beam to enhance stability, control and feel. For added comfort, there is Vibroshield (a highly elastic material placed in the midsection of the hoop and shaft along with Sonic Core with Infinergy in the head.

Why it's the best: The Textreme Warrior 100 is an all-around performer, delivering easy power and spin and is an overall easy-to-use experience for the intermediate level player. What makes this racquet stand out even more is its price. Read more about this racquet's playability in our full review.

If you're an advanced player, you have a fully developed game and extensive experience playing competitive matches. In addition to finding a racquet that complements your strengths, you’ll need enough mass to drive the ball powerfully through the court or redirect higher levels of pace. Here are the racquets you should be looking at across the most important categories.

Why it’s the best: There's no denying the power and spin of the Pure Aero line. There's a reason it landed on this list three times. The Pure Aero Plus takes the power and monster spin of the Pure Aero then ramps it up a notch. The added length of this racquet makes your biggest serves and groundstrokes even more damaging. Our playtesters love this racquet strung up with their favourite co-poly string so they can take their biggest cuts while finding extra control via massive spin.

Why it's the best: While we think the Babolat Pure Aero Plus is the bar none the most powerful in the already powerful and spin-friendly Aero line, sometimes most of us could use a little bit of control. That's where this Pure Aero 98 comes into play. Once called the Pure Aero VS, this Pure Aero 98 packs the power and spin of the Aero racquets, but it has a thinner beam and smaller head size that provides a bit of added control. With that added control comes the confidence to swing big, and our playtesters found a great balance of features. Get all of the details in our full review.

Looking for more options? Read our Power Racquets Gear Guide or Spin Racquets Gear Guide

Why it’s the best: The Head Gravity Pro offers an impressive balance of stability, control and feel, this second genration racquet remains a favourite. The Gravity Pro features an arm-friendly RA stiffness of 63, a forgiving 100-square-inch head size and a control-oriented 18x20 string pattern. Read our full review.

Why it's the best: The control and feel category is dominated by racquets with a long lineage, and the Wilson Pro Staff 97 v14 follows in those footsteps. The Wilson Pro Staff is a perennial favorite, and this 2023 version features the same aramid fibers that gave the original Pro Staff 85 its outstanding feel. This Pro Staff 97 delivers plenty of control with a solid feel and plow through. There was little our playtesters did not like in our full review of this racquet.

Why it’s the best: Although its heritage does not stretch as far back as the Pro Staff, the Wilson Blade is a favourite in today's power game. Updated for 2024, the Blade 98 16x19 continues to impress. The changes from the v8 to the latest Blade 98 16x19 v9 are slight. The latest version is slightly more stable and powerful. Although we find this open pattern version to offer plenty of control, those looking even more precise targeting, the Blade 98 18x20 v9 is an excellent option.

Why it's the best: As the evolution of the Yonex VCORE PRO line, the Percept series puts a focus on control and feel. The most controlled in the line is the Yonex Percept 97D. It pairs a 97-square-inch head size with a tight 18x20 string pattern to deliver pinpoint accuracy. Compared to the VCORE PRO 97D, our playtesters found similar accuracy but a heavier, more dampened feel. Find all of the details in our full review.

Looking for more options? Find more on our Control Racquets Gear Guide

Why it's the best: The latest version of the Speed Pro keeps much the same formula that has made it a player favourite. There's a traditional 18x20 string pattern for accuracy, and a hefty swingweight for stability and plow through. With this 2024 update, the racquet has a slightly softer feel and a low flex for plenty of comfort.