10 Best Tennis Racquets 2020

Through extensive testing and my personal years of experience on the tennis courts, my favorite tennis racquet (so far!) is the HEAD Ti. Conquest Tennis Racket. You’ll find yourself smashing power shots from the baseline and winning points with aggressive volleys at the net while wielding this racquet.

Any tennis player knows that your choice of tennis racquet governs every aspect of your tennis game. From power and spin to control and feel, the tennis racquet you choose affects everything. Today, I’m going to take you through what I feel are the top 10 best tennis racquets available right now. If you’re looking for a high-quality tennis racquet, you can’t go wrong choosing one from this list.

 

Best Tennis Racquets in 2020

HEAD Ti. Conquest Tennis Racket (Recreational Beginners)

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Our top pick for the best tennis racquet is this Head prestrung Ti. Conquest racquet that features an oversized 108” head creates a larger surface area for returning and serving balls and is ideal for those who are still mastering the art of precision. 

It’s a great recreational racquet for beginners and casual players who need something fairly lightweight but still offers durability and the ability to withstand endless matches with friends across years to come.

The titanium alloy frame provides both power and control with each shot allowing beginners to intermediate players to stay on top of their game. 

The racquet is best suited for adults down to older youth players, however, it is available in a handful of grip sizes so it may suit younger youth players who have larger hands. 

Wilson Youth/Juniors Recreational Tennis Racket (Best For Youths)

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As for a designated youth/junior recreational racquet, this Wilson Prime model will do just the job. The model was designed to inspire the entry-level junior player who’s looking to learn the basics of tennis and predominantly for having fun, as the player gets older or improves, a more advanced racquet would be recommended.

The youth model is based on the Wilson Prime 103 racquet and emphasizes a combination of playability, comfort, and control, and the lightweight design will ensure hours of learning and playing without tired arms.  

As we said, the racquet is designed for youths and is primarily aimed at players aged 11 and below. 

Due to the white grips on the model, we’d recommend getting some replacement grips in a different color to prevent them from looking super dirty.

HEAD Ti.S6 Tennis Racquet – Strung (Adult Beginners)

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Here’s another Head racquet that’s ideally suited for adult beginners looking to start taking lessons or playing recreationally with friends. The Ti.S6 is made up of titanium and graphite to give the construction a lightweight and effortless feel when serving but still being durable enough to withstand lots of use. 

The larger strung head will allow beginners to be able to consistently hit the ball over the net with minimal skill and without accuracy. Once the player has developed a full swing and improved their play, they’ll quickly have to move on to something else.

Forehand shots and slices will seem a breeze with the Ti.S6 racquet and you’ll be able to attain some powerful shots even if you’re not the most experienced.

OPPUM Adult Carbon Fiber Tennis Racket (Beginners)

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This Oppum Adult tennis racquet is also a good recommendation for adults looking to revive an old childhood hobby or even those who’ve never even held a racquet or served a ball before. 

The model uses a triangular-shaped frame for double shock absorption to reduce the amount of vibration you’ll find when receiving and serving the ball on impact. It’ll also help minimize that irritating ping sound when the ball it’s your racquet.

The racquet frame is made up of carbon fiber and aluminum double mixed metal for ultimate durability but still remaining lightweight for extended use.

 The handle grip is comfortable when playing and will allow you to easily switch the racquet angle more freely when your confidence begins to grow. 

The Oppum racquet comes with a branded carrying bag to easily transport to and from your sessions and also keep protected when not in use in your home. 

Wilson Tour Slam Tennis Racquet (Beginners)

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The Wilson Tour Slam racquet is a great choice for beginners as it offers a lot of versatility for inexperienced players. It’s super lightweight which makes it comfortable and convenient to hold especially during long matches or just batting the ball against the wall to improve your forehand, backhand, and smash shots. 

However, despite its lightweight construction the Wilson Tour Slam has a large string surface to help you have more power when hitting the ball but without the need for accuracy. 

The model has stop shock pads built into the construction to prevent vibrations when the ball hits the racquet and also to maximize control over your ball. 

One of the features that makes it most desirable for beginner players is the volcanic frame technology that provides stability and aids players who have not yet got used to techniques.

HEAD Microgel Radical Midplus Tennis Racket (Intermediate or Competitive)

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We’ve recommended plenty of beginners racquets, but if you’re at an intermediate level or you play competitive tennis then you’re probably questioning what’s recommended for you. Well, this Microgel Radical Midplus racquet from Head is highly recommended for more skillful and competitive players.

The Microgel technology offers stiffness and allows you to make aggressive shots over the net that are packed with your full power potential. The microgel will also distribute the impact all across the frame to minimize vibrations and also maximize comfort during high-intensity moments of the match 

The lightweight construction provides less pressure on the elbows and shoulders so should minimize injuries and after-match strains after using this racquet. 

Whilst being targeted for competitive players, it’s not recommended for experienced beginners and is more suited to intermediate or advanced players who have lots of experience in the game. Beginners would be better off with the Head Ti.S6 model as it has a larger sweet spot making it easier for them to play. 

The racket is 27 inches long and offers good maneuverability through different angles and also good reach for last-minute returns. 

Babolat Pure Strike (16×19) Tennis Racquet (Intermediate to Advanced)

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Another recommendation for advanced players is this Babolat Pure Strike racquet that delivers new levels of precision and offers sharp control over your serves and returns. It’s a good option for players who love to make aggressive shots and take full control of the game.

The racquet is integrated with new dampening technology to make vibrations more forgiving on contact and also provide more comfortable play for the user.

It feels great from all areas of the court and will allow players to play with confidence even when players are right at the net. 

However, there has been some confusion over whether this racquet comes strung or unstrung, as it’s marketed as coming ready to play out of the box, however, some customers have noted that it arrived unstrung. 

Teloon Recreational Adult Tennis Rackets (Beginners)

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This Teloon racquet is a beginner and also budget-friendly option for adults or older teenagers looking to get into tennis. The 102 square inch head size makes it easier for inexperienced players to hit and control the tennis ball even in the early days of their training. 

The X-blade model from Teloon also comes available in 10 color choices to suit the preferences of both male and female players.

The solid triangle shaping enhances shock absorption for increased comfort and also increases hitting power. Despite having power-enhancing abilities, the racquet is lightweight due to the carbon fiber construction that’ll also be able to withstand drops to the ground and excessive use. 

The grip that comes rolled over the wooden handle is not recommended to use directly and the Teloon brand will offer customers a roll of overgrip to attach before playing with the racquet. 

The racquet also comes inclusive of a branded Teloon black carry bag to keep your racquet protected when not in use and also make it easier to transport to and from the court. 

Babolat Pure Drive 2021 Tennis Racquet (Intermediate)

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If you’re an intermediate player looking for a premium racquet to help you over the next few years then you’ll need to check out this trusty Babolat Pure Drive 2021 model. 

This racquet model is hugely popular and is one of the most bought racquets compared with some leading models from top brands, even despite the many upgrades it has gone through. 

On high-intensity shots, intermediate players will be able to experience good energy transfer from the body to the racquet which will result in power and explosive shots. Despite its power, it’s also constructed with advanced vibration filtration technology to improve the feel of playing and also decrease the sounds on impact. 

Thanks to the new HTR (high torsional rigidity) system, stability with the racquet is better than ever and also more power for the player.

The model is marketed at being sold unstrung, but the brand/distributor will string it themselves before shipping, saving you the hassle of attempting to do it yourself or taking it to a pro at a racquet store to do it. 

Babolat Pure Aero 2019 Tennis Racquet (Intermediate to Advanced)

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Another good option for those players with a few years of experience under their belt and need something that leans towards the more intermediate to advanced skill level is this Babolat Pure Aero 2019 racquet. 

If the fact that it’s Rafael Nadal’s racquet of choice doesn’t immediately draw you in then the wicked design and aggressive playing capabilities certainly will.

The Pure Aero line is known for its effortless power and top spinning potential, this racquet has been able to transform and modernize the average tennis player. It offers comfortability and more control than previous generations of the Pure Aero but thankfully diehard fans won’t have to worry about this racquet losing its power capabilities. 

How I Selected The Best Tennis Racquets of 2020

When you’re searching for a great tennis racquet for you, it can be hard to determine exactly what to look for. To form the list above, I looked at three main factors:

• Power
• Control
• Feel

Now it is easy to find a tennis racquet that is very powerful or very arm friendly (feels good on the court). But what is hard to find is a tennis racquet that excels at each of these 3 characteristics at the same time. All of the racquets on our best tennis racquets list excel in each of these categories.

I’ll go a little deeper into why I chose these 3 main categories.

Power

Power is necessary for tennis to determine how far the ball goes. The more power a racquet has, the harder you can hit. In tennis racquets, there is a delicate balance between power and control.

Too much power and every shot will go out of bounds. Too little power and while you’ll be able to easily control the ball, your opponent will hit winners on you all day.

The best racquets feature a mix of power and control. In some cases, such as the Wilson Blade Countervail above, the balance is tilted towards power.

In others like the Yonex Ezone 100 and the Head Graphene XT Radical, the balance is more aimed at control.

However, every racquet on our list features excellent power from the baseline, at net, and on your serve.

Control

I love judging racquets on control because it is essential to my tennis game. If you can’t place the ball accurately, whether you’re hitting a simple cross-court shot or trying to pass somebody at net down the line, you won’t win matches.

You can hit the ball as hard as you want but without accuracy, you’ll constantly run into unforced errors, the bane of any tennis professional’s existence.

Control commonly comes down to the design and damping of the racquet. As described above, some racquets have a muted feel to the string bed.

While this dampens the vibrations to the arm, this also results in less control over where the ball goes.

The best tennis racquets for control often give you a feel for where the ball is going to go as you make contact with the tennis ball. While this does result in more vibrations hitting your arm, the instant feedback can be great for your tennis game.

Another aspect of control is the capability to apply spin. Of the tennis racquets on this list, the Babolat Pure Strike features the best mix of power, control, and spin.

The ability to apply spin mostly comes down to the string pattern, string bed, and the frame design of the racquet.

Feel

Last but certainly not least, the feel of a tennis racquet is essential to how you play with it on the court. Most tennis professionals recommend trying out a new tennis racquet before buying it for exactly this reason.

No matter the technical specs, if the racquet doesn’t feel right to you then it won’t be a good fit.

This is more of a qualitative measure as compared to the other metrics used to generate this list. In this case, I’ve played with each of these racquets on this list before and talked to numerous other players who have played with these racquets.

What I specifically looked for was simple. How did I feel after 1 hour, 3 hours, and 2 consecutive days of playing some intense tennis matches?

A lot of arm feel comes down to the weight of the racquet and the vibrations as you strike a tennis ball with it.

Of course, your ability to handle a tennis racquet may be different than mine meaning that you’ll need a lighter or heavier tennis racquet than the ones that I’ve recommended here.

After extensive testing, I’ve found that all of the racquets on this list were comfortable, easy to use w/ minimal training, and friendly to all skill levels – albeit some more than others.

Effect of Skill Level

By evaluating control, power, and arm feel, I came up with this list of the best tennis racquets. Now, it’s important to realize that there really is no best tennis racquet for everybody.

Tennis racquets are NOT one-size-fits-all!

Depending on your skill level, player personality, and own physique, the best tennis racquet for you may not be even on this list. I tried to pick tennis racquets that would accommodate the widest range of players but I may have missed a few.

For beginners just looking to pick up a tennis racquet and start playing, I would suggest you check out my post on the best beginner tennis racquets. Many of the racquets on this list may be too much (or too expensive) than you really need.

For intermediate players, you really want to look for a tennis racquet that will accentuate the best parts of your playing style and help you grow to the next level. For that, you need to figure out your playing style – a topic that my post on Intermediate Tennis Racquets touches on better.

For advanced tennis players sitting at the top of your game, this list of the best tennis racquets is probably most applicable to you. You could pick up any of the racquets on this list and start dominating your opponents. At this level though, you need to play to your strengths.

At this level of gameplay, you should also consider investing in a tennis ball machine that is best suited for you to fully optimize your practice sessions.

Ask yourself, what are your highest percentage shots? Where are you losing points? What’re the strongest parts of your game? To help you choose a racquet, I wrote a post just for advanced tennis players trying to find a tennis racquet: Advanced Tennis Racquets.