The offering in the racket market is constantly extending, and while we are of course always looking for new releases, you also need the right strings in those rackets. Some are rather string sensitive, others work well with a variety, but there are some combinations that work especially well. Here are some of the top picks right now when it comes to combining the right racket with the right string.
Most of these racquets and strings can be found at Tennis Warehouse (USA), Tennis Warehouse Europe or Tennis Only (AU).
Babolat Pure Aero x Babolat RPM Blast
Before we go into this, I will do a short disclaimer. Not all these options are to be played by players with a sensitive elbow, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t work especially well. The Babolat Pure Aero is one example of that – it is definitely a stiff racket, but it works best when paired with a firm, spin-friendly poly like RPM Blast. Both the 100 and the 98 version of this frame shine when they can produce the best amount of spin, which the famous Babolat string can deliver. And I am sure that, during the testing phase, the Babolat product teams used this string to play with those extensively.
Granted, not everyone is Carlos Alcaraz and can get away with playing these at a high tension and fast racket head speed, but they deliver. If you want to ease the stringbed a little bit, you could go for a multi or soft poly in the crosses, but if you want to experience the full Babolat Aero feeling, go for some RPM Blast in this.
Wilson Blade x Luxilon Alu Power / Element hybrid
I thought about the best Wilson setup and of course, the first thing in my mind was Champion’s choice with the Pro Staff. But as nice as this plays, it is a very difficult to use frame and will not work for most average players. One setup that will work for a lot of players and offers a great variety of possibilities is the Alu Power / Element hybrid in both the v8 and v9 Blade. It compliments the control and stiffness of the classic Alu Power with comfort and power from the excellent soft poly that Luxilon Element is.
If you want to add a little bit of spin, you can always go for Alu Power Rough in the mains as well. Only downside here – it is expensive compared to other setups, as are most strings by Luxilon. But the performance by this combination is worth the extra price, and this setup in particular is even arm friendly.
Head Gravity Pro x Head Lynx Tour
This might be the most personal choice on my list, but I really do love and actively play that combination in most of my league matches. The Gravity Pro, both in the 2019 and 2023 versions, is a pin-point precision racket with a forgiving 100 square inch head size, a mix that you don’t get very often. The HEAD Lynx Tour is a tour level string, which doesn’t offer a lot for free neither, but has a decent amount of spin, a ton of control and a great reactive power level. So, if you are confident to swing the Gravity fast enough to generate your own power, this combination is a very good one.
Pros like Andrey Rublev even play with this setup and can keep their ball in play, so you should be aware that you might need to string this a tad lower to keep it lively enough. You don’t need to worry as much about your arm, as the Gravity Pro with its 20mm beam offers a soft and plush response, with the Auxetic version dampening even more. Another adjustment possible would be to have Lynx in the crosses, which would give a bit softer response and power as well. But in either case, this racket-string combination works really well, and I am eager to try this one on the new Gravity Tour 98 soon!
Tecnifibre T-Fight 305 ISO x Tecnifibre Razor Code Soft
This last one is a tour player favorite but still one that is not very much seen in local clubs. The Tecnifibre T-Fight 305, endorsed by Medvedev, Griekspoor and Bublik amongst others, is a phenomenal racket with a unique 18×19 pattern and quite head heavy balance. It’s hefty swingweight and tight pattern put it pretty close to the pro version and make it hard to use at times, requiring the player to swing fully and get a bit of help. This bit of help can be offered by one of Tecnifibre’s newer string offerings, the Razor Code Soft. It retains the control and spin production of the classic Razor Code, but is just a tad softer, similar to the Tour Bite Soft maybe.
This combination gets precision, spin and power from a frame that can be easily used in high level play without further customization. The clean white design of the frame allows for a bit of variance in the color of the strings, so you might want to go for the lime strings if you like. Just one disclaimer – even though it is called soft, this string is not a classic soft poly and will not solve your arm problems if you have them.
Is there any combination we missed and you like a lot?
