Updated 3rd September, 2024
What is Carlos Alcaraz racquet and string? And what are his racquet specifications? Perhaps surprisingly human consider his superhuman tennis.
Read on for our player profile of Carlos Alcaraz, currently no 3 in the ATP rankings.
Introduction
Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz has already won four Grand Slam titles (two French Opens, one Wimbledon and one US Open), been ranked number one globally, and collected more than 35 million dollars in prize money. He has won 15 ATP Tour titles at age 21 and is deemed to be a future legend in the sport.
Alcaraz was born in El Palmar, in Murcia, Spain. He started playing tennis at four years old and his idol was his doubles partner for the 2024 Olympic Games, Rafa Nadal. He was taught tennis by his father Carlos, before Juan Carlos Ferrero famously entered his life. Alcaraz has three brothers who also play tennis: Alvaro, Sergio, and Jaime.
- Age 21 (2003.05.05)
- Weight 163 lbs (74kg)
- Height 6’0″ (183cm)
- Turned pro 2018
- Country Spain
- Coach Juan Carlos Ferrero
In the record books already
At a young age, he has already accomplished a lot. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he became the 3rd youngest man to win a singles Olympic medal, winning silver after losing to Djokovic in the final. Carlos was the 3rd Spanish man to win Wimbledon after Nadal (2008, 2010) and Manuel Santana (1966). In 2022 he became the youngest men’s champion at US Open since Sampras, 19, in 1990 and at any Grand Slam event since Nadal, 19, at 2005 Roland Garros. He was also the youngest ATP 500 champion at 2022 Rio de Janeiro (since 2009) and the 3rd-youngest ATP Masters 1000 champion at 2022 Miami (since 1990).
It was clear early on what an amazing talent Carlos Alcaraz is, and I am sure there is much more to see from him.
Alcaraz racquet and string
What is really Alcaraz racquet? In most cases, the pros use an older model customized to their specification and painted to look like the latest generation so that racquet companies can sell more racquets. We call these pro stock racquets. But there are a few situations where a pro uses a racquet that is available to anyone out there. When it comes to Carlos Alcaraz, he allegedly uses a stock Babolat Pure Aero 98! However, it is not insane to speculate that it might be the Babolat Pure Aero VS layup painted as Pure Aero 98.
Below you can see the specifications of Alcaraz racquet.
Carlos Alcaraz racquet specs
Unstrung weight: 305 grams (strings and over grip adds a total of 25 grams)
Unstrung balance: 31.7 cm (strings add 1 cm, overgrip subtracts 0.3 cm)
Unstrung swing weight: 293 (strings add 30-35 swing weight points)
These specifications are unstrung. Alcaraz recently changed his string from the popular Babolat RPM Blast 1.30 at 55 lbs mains and 53 lbs crosses to Babolat RPM Team, which is softer but still relatively similar to RPM Blast. My guess is that he made the switch to improve the comfort for his elbow, which has been bothering him on and off during his playing career.
Approximate strung specifications with overgrip
330 grams, 32.4 cm, 327 swing weight.
As you can see, these are the specs you get when you buy a Babolat Pure Aero 98 in the store. Pros rarely play with relatively light specs, but these days, it happens. Tennis is such a fast and physical sport that using heavy and unforgiving racquets will likely be a thing of the past soon.
Does this mean that if you buy a Pure Aero 98 and use Alcaraz tension and string setup you will be hammering forehand winners, caressing drop shots and winning Masters titles? No. The racquet works for him and his game, and you need to find what works for you. But, interestingly, he’s using a stock-form racquet.
If you want to know the right racquet for your game, check out our TN Guide to Racquets and Strings or get a racquet consultation.
Notable Stats/Info
- Carlos is the youngest World No. 1 in ATP Rankings history
- Also the youngest player to defeat both Nadal and Djokovic
- Favourite shot is forehand and favorite surface is clay
- Likes to play golf and football, apart from tennis.
Serve Stats
| Category | Statistic |
| Aces | 899 |
| Double Faults | 547 |
| 1st Serve Success Rate | 65% |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 71% |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 55% |
| Break Points Faced | 1372 |
| Break Points Saved | 63% |
| Service Games Played | 2935 |
| Service Games Won | 83% |
| Total Service Points Won | 66% |
Summary
Carlos Alcaraz is a joy to watch on tennis court. His creative and explosive game style and movement can often resemble a cocktail of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic. He also plays with joy and a smile on his face, which is why the fans have really gravitated to him.
Together with Jannik Sinner, it seems like a new GOAT-style rivalry is born and we can only hope that they both can remain injury-free and give us brilliant tennis for many years to come.
When it comes to Alcaraz racquet, it is clear that you don’t need a heavy racquet to play good tennis. Several next-gen pros use lighter racquets and can still generate power through excellent technique and fast swings.
If you are curious about Jannik Sinner’s racquet or other pro players, there are many other articles here on Tennisnerd and you can also check out a large selection of videos on our YouTube channel.
14 comments
I guess he certainly doesn’t need more power…. maybe the maneuverability with a relatively light racket is helpful.
honestly, i doubt he is playing with that garbage racket; stock form. No stability.
Do you know if he uses lead tape? Swing weight under 300 seems low compared other ATP players.
I have just bought a VS. I love the other Babolats I own. I expect this one to be the best.
Paul Braithwaite
It is possible. Federer also uses a stock racket (altough the RF97 is on the heavy side for a Retail racket). Difference is Roger actually picks one with a slighlty heavier SW off the lot. I am assuming it is similar with Alcaraz, maybe closer to 330 SW, who knows, because 320 SW does seem oddly low, taking into account how he managed to receive the oncomming balls from the Rocket-for-an-Arm Djokovic plus many others with good serves xD
I have been using a 2020 (Red) Prestige MP and/or Pro for a while. Weight of 338g, SW 331, 6 pt HL (strung specs) and recently bought this racket (Pure Aero VS, PAVS for short). It felt so light, like a toy. The swingweight was so low I couldn’t play for crap. I know we can adapt but I find it hard to believe a pro would use such a toy. I am attempting to bring it in line with my preferred specs but ran out of lead tape for now. It does generate more spin and for sure has more power. I want to give it a shot because I do respect the aero aspect of it and being 50 yrs old, I feel I should consider using a racket that does more for me.
It is impossible that any pro plays 300 grams racquet. 330 unstrung is a minimum.
Ask Taylor Fritz and many others that use lighter racquets. Not many pros use below 330 swing weight strung, but below 330g unstrung there are quite a few!
The SW listed of 293 is not correct…the stock VS SW is 321.
293 unstrung can lead to 321 strung depending on the string. Also quality control makes these different, of course.
It is correct. 293 SW is the unstrung measurement. Add ~ 30 points for strings and it’s about 321.
Fake…. This rackets available to everyone have low quality control.. they’re all different and will never play the same even if you use lead to match them. And 293 swingweight??? just look at alcaraz play and of course it’s impossible.
Fake? Well, he plays a pro stock. Also, if you match two retail racquets they will play the same. There are many pros using low swing weights below 330 strung these days. Let’s say Alcaraz is playing 330 strung SW with the thicker Babolat string, I don’t think that is impossible at all.
This guy Dave is still stuck in the old days of heavy racket tennis