I often get questions about what products I use since I pretty much test everything on the market. I call this section Recommended Racquets, and I try to limit the choices as much as I can by picking one family of racquets per category. Let’s look at some of the best tennis racquets out there.
These are our favorite racquets right now, listed in different categories. This page will expand and change, so keep checking back, subscribe to our newsletter, our YouTube channel, and Instagram, or become a Tennisnerd member. Many of the below links are affiliate links, meaning that if you use them to purchase something, we will get a small commission. There is, however, no pressure to buy these specific products. Our goal is to help players enjoy their tennis more, whether that comes from tweaking their gear, finding the right mindset, connecting with a coach, or getting inspiration to train, that is up to each individual.
If you need help choosing a racquet, you can check out our racquet consultation or ask a question on the racquet advice page.
Anyway, let’s look at our recommended racquets per category.
2025 has seen an avalanche of racquet releases. You can check out our favorites here.
So which are the best racquets? The selection to choose from is greater than ever, it depends a lot of your playing style and skill, but most racquets released today are pretty good.
Control racquets for intermediates
If you are an intermediate player looking for a control racquet to swing at the ball without fear of it sailing out, there is quite a bunch to choose from. The ones below are our favorites.
The Blade is an icon in the game and it is on its 9th generation. You can choose between a dense pattern for maximum precision (18/20) or a more open pattern for a slightly higher angle on your shots (16/19). The 16/19 will also be slightly easier to swing. This is one of the most popular racquets on tour and endorsed by Karen Khachanov, David Goffin, Ugo Humbert, the list is long!
HEAD released this new model in their famous Gravity line-up to compete with the Blade. This has a slightly higher launch angle and more spin potential. I think it slots in between a spin racquet like the Pure Aero 98 and the Blade 98. Most players seem to think this one of the best tennis racquets.
If you prefer a lower launch angle than the Gravity Tour 98, the Radical MP is the way to go. Not as buttery as the pre-Graphene Radicals, but it gives you some more pop and spin potential. Endorsed by Italian players like Cobolli, Bellucci and Arnaldi.
This has become a player favorite in 2025. A raw and controlled feel, a glossy white cosmetic, an 18/19 pattern for more control. What’s not to like? This frame is a little firmer than the Blade and the Gravity racquets. Used and endorsed by Daniil Medvedev, Tallon Griekspoor and Sasha Bublik.
Maybe it’s not our favorite cosmetic, but the playability of this racquet is undeniable. It offers good feel and comfort and sends you the ball where you want it to go. You need to bring the power. Endorsed by Frances Tiafoe and Tomas Etcheverry.
Where to buy them?
Find all the mentioned tennis racquets at our partners here:
- HEAD official website (USA)
- Tennis Warehouse (US, Canada)
- Tennis Warehouse Europe (10% off with code TNERD10)
- Tennis Only (AU)
- Tennis Point: (Germany, Spain, Italy, France).
- Wilson official website
Control racquets for advanced players
If you are a competitive tennis player who plays or played in College, competed on the circuit or play leagues and tournaments, then these racquets might suit you. These are heavier and more demanding frames that require good technique and footwork.
Roger Federer’s retirement choice. This does not mean it is an easy racquet to use, unless you are Roger Federer. However, advanced players tend to like the mix of power and control and if you like to attack the net like RF, the RF Pro should be considered.
The popularity of the Gravity Pro among advanced players to top pros like Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev is evident. However, you need to have the game to swing this racquet in a match for two hours. If you do, you get rewarded with precision and plow-through.
The heavier Radical. Very controlled, but like the Gravity Pro you need to be quite a solid player to use this in a long match. Does not have the plow-through of the Gravity Pro, but swings faster.
The heavier Percept comes with a dense 18/20 pattern for maximum precision. Again, at 320g unstrung, you need the game, but if you bring it, the Percept 97Delivers.
The Pure Strikes pack a bit more punch than most control racquets, but the 97 is the most controlled one.
Spin racquets for intermediates
Spin racquets give you a higher launch angle for easier net clearance and more spin potential. If you like to attack the ball with flatter strokes, you might find your shots to sail a bit with these frames. But if you like to grind on clay and play counter-attacking tennis, then these racquets are excellent.
The best Aero yet if you like a denser string pattern and improved comfort. One of the most popular racquets on the club scene that stretches all the way to the pro tour. Endorsed by players like Fabian Marosczan and Leylah Fernandez, to name only two.
The Extreme is HEAD’s long-standing line of spin racquets and the latest one offers better dampening for sensitive arms. Endorsed by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Matteo Berrettini.
Dunlop’s spin line took a large step in the right direction with improved stability and comfort. They also come at a slightly lower price point, so definitely worth checking out.
Diadem is a relatively new company in the tennis industry but they made some waves already. Earlier this year, they signed Elina Svitolina to use the Axis 98. When we tested the new Axis racquets, we could see why she switched.
The VCORE line is Yonex’s most popular racquets on tour. They come with good comfort, excellent spin potential and nice pocketing in the string bed. Endorsed by Elena Rybakina, Tommy Paul, Tomas Machac and many more.
Wilson should get an applause for their attempt at innovating the sometimes rather stale racquet industry with the vertical bending tech of the new Shift racquets. Although it has not yet become a popular frame on the tour, famous tennis personalities like Andy Roddick and Nikola Aracic from Intuitive Tennis has switched to it.
Spin racquets for advanced players
These racquets are for you who can generate spin with fast swing speeds but want more precision than the typical spin racquets above. You will get higher net clearance with these frames than control and power racquets.
The choice of Carlos Alcaraz, Holger Rune and Arthur Fils (they might be using the previous VS model, but they are quite similar in playability). This racquet produces an explosive level of spin and good power for a 98 sq inch racquet. You need to swing fast to control the ball, but if you do, you will be rewarded by your shots kicking up at your opponent.
Lorenzo Musetti is using the older model (it is painted like the Boom Pro, though) and this racquet has plenty of fans among good club players as well. It used to be called Extreme Tour, but is now called Pro and offers better dampening and comfort. Less explosive than the Aero 98, but better control.
The SX 300 Tour is much improved over the predecessor. Better stability and comfort and still a whippy swing weight. The launch angle is lower than you might expect, but that gives you a little more confidence. Not as explosive as the Aero, but more in line with the Extreme Pro.
This is the heavier VCORE 98, which offers better stability and plow-through than the standard one. Whether you like the lighter one’s faster feel or not is a matter of taste. If you customize your racquets, the Tour model might not be the one for you. Nice, plush feel.
The Axis racquets have impressed me with their dampened and stable feel. I preferred the 98 for better control with its denser 16/20 string pattern. More controlled than the Aero 98 but not as explosive. You get a discount on Diadem products on our Deals page.
Power racquets for intermediates
Power racquets give you more free depth through slightly thicker and stiffer frames. The stiffness will also allow better stability despite a lighter racquet. The downside is the control.
This has become my favorite Pure Drive of all time thanks to a stronger focus on comfort and I also felt like the lower stiffness allowed for improved control. Still, a powerful stick that needs the right player type. A joy to serve with.
The Ezone 100 was always powerful, but this generation took this even further than before. Addictive levels of power, but you need to tune your shots not to overhit.
Jack Draper endorses this one, and although he plays with an older model, this racquet is excellent. This racquet plays a bit faster than the ones above, but is not quite as stable.
I could maybe have put this in the versatile racquet category, since it is not as powerful as the ones above, but since the TFX1 is too powerful for most, I think this will be a decent compromise. The thinner beam and lower stiffness will allow for better control, but it is still a pretty powerful racquet.
Power racquets for advanced players
If you are an advanced player looking for a little more depth and pop on your shots, this is the category you should look at.
This racquet has won over many players in 2025. They made it softer but retained some of the iconic power. Madison Keys famously made the switch earlier in the year and ended up winning the Australian Open.
The Pure Drive 98 got a major overhaul for 2025 with a new mold and a new string pattern. The racquet became more controlled, more comfortable and more demanding.
Endorsed by Jerry Shang and Taro Daniel.
This racquet has worked well for Alexei Popyrin and is a whippy, yet powerful racquet. Might require a little weight for stability but otherwise a good choice.
The Boom line is not quite as stiff as other power lines, but still gives you a good mix of power and spin. Endorsed by Lorenzo Musetti.
Versatile racquets for intermediates
A versatile racquet is trying to cover all elements of the game, power, spin, comfort and control. It does not exceed anywhere, but tries to bring balance to your game. These are our recommended racquets for players looking for versatility.
Having Jannik Sinner using this racquet is not bad spreading the word about the Speed line around the world. The latest version has improved comfort and feel and still delivers on spin and power.
Nordicdots is a new brand in the tennis industry, but they have proved themselves with impressive attention to detail, nice playing racquets, excellent quality control and the possibility to demo their racquets. The Model 100 is their latest racquet and offers a balanced blend of power/spin/control/feel. Use the code TENNISNERD15 for 15% off.
The new Prince Phantom line was remarkably solid for its low stiffness, thin-beamed frames. You might not see Prince on tour anymore (due to a different marketing strategy), but they really deliver excellent racquets.
This racquet was my frame of choice for a while, since I think it did pretty much everything well. In the end, I personally prefer a more controlled string pattern, but this is a sleeper frame for sure.
The most forgiving and powerful Percept racquet. Some spin, some power, but still retaining control that makes the Percept line so good.
If you cannot find the power you want or need in the more popular Blade 98, the Blade 100 might be the choice for you. Does most things really well.
Versatile racquets for advanced players
Advanced players can generate power themselves and are therefore looking for control. They also prefer slightly heavier racquet as they face heavier shots.
Endorsed by Novak Djokovic and offering much better precision through its 18/20 string pattern than the MP version. A very low trajectory on this one, but that can be adjusted by stringing a little lower.
Nordicdots is a new brand in the tennis industry, but they have proved themselves with impressive attention to detail, nice playing racquets, excellent quality control and the possibility to demo their racquets. The Model 99 offers excellent control thanks to a 16/20 progressive string pattern and an elegant flex rating in the mid 60s.
The most demanding racquet in the Phantom family with an 18/20 string pattern and a 320 gram unstrung weight. If you like a traditional frame with a larger head size for more forgiveness, you should give this one a go.
If you watch Tennis YouTube, you might have heard of pro player Karue Sell. He used this racquet successfully up to the Challenger level. The 18/19 pattern gives you good control and its stable enough to handle incoming shots from pro players.
Comfort racquets for intermediates
The Clash is an icon in the comfort game. Wilson brought back really low flex racquets and compensated with a high twist weight for good stability and some controlled trampolining in the string bed. An arm saver for many.
You might not have heard of ProKennex racquets, but they deliver brilliant comfort thanks to low flex and their Kinetic tech. The Blace Ace line has received raving reviews from club players.
HEAD keeps improving their Auxetic tech and the latest generation of Gravity MP shows how good it is. It has a low flex to save your arm, but retains good stability and power.
Summary
These are our recommended racquets from each different category. I understand it is a lot to choose from, but if you are completely lost you can get a Tennisnerd consultation.
Think of the categories as what you would like more of. If you want more power, consider a power racquet. If you want to accentuate your spin and height over the net, go for a spin racquet. If you are all about control, go for a control racquet. And if you don’t know what you need or want, consider a versatile racquet. Or, if your elbow or should has been troubling you, it might be time for a comfort racquet.
Remember that the string and tension is as important as the racquet, so please check out our Recommended Strings page for more info about that.
