Shopping for a new tennis racquet can seem like a pretty tough endeavor. There are a bunch of different options out there, and they all bring something different to the table.
The top tennis racquet brands have the experience making quality options, the money to innovate, and the marketing skills to be at the top. This is a ranking of the seven best brands for tennis racquets currently.
1. Wilson
- Sponsored Players: Roger Federer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Serena Williams
A tried and true tennis racquet manufacturer is Wilson. They have been in the business for so long, and they continue to put out great racquets for all different types of players.
Roger Federer and Serena Williams are the two main faces behind Wilson right now, but they have a ton of other current pros endorsing what they provide.
In the last couple of years, they started working on technology to make racquets softer and more playable for all. Their Wilson Clash became a much-talked-about racquet when it first hit the market because of his ability to feel just right in the hands of players.
Wilson’s history in the sport gives them an edge over many other competitors. It’s very hard to have so much success in any industry for decades and decades, but Wilson’s been able to pull it off.
They have the budget to spend more money on research and development than most, and that plays a big role in them staying near the top as well. From a comfort perspective, Wilson’s been very focused on helping with that across-the-board.
One other positive with Wilson is that they are the best at providing the actual racquet used by their sponsored players. As many tennis players know, a lot of professionals will paint their racquets to look a certain way.
However, they aren’t using anything close to what companies market as their racquet in stores. Wilson tries to keep things as true as possible for the consumer.
2. Babolat
- Sponsored Players: Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Fabio Fognini
Babolat had a meteoric rise in the tennis industry, going from relatively unknown to one of the most popular racquet brands in the world.
They try to simplify the racquet-buying process quite a bit, offering just a few models for players to choose from. However, there are many different variations of those models, allowing players to fine-tune everything to their liking.
The one common theme with Babolat is that all of the racquets are built for a modern style of play. It makes sense since they are a newer company, as they want their players to hit with power and confidence from the baseline. On average, they tend to have bigger sweet spots and head sizes in general, which also points more towards the modern game.
Polyester strings work best with Babolat racquets, but players mess around with any type of setup. They’re worth demoing, but keep in mind that they are usually a bit stiffer and not as easy to maneuver as others out there.
Babolat only promotes the Pure Aero, Pure Strike, and Pure Drive lines these days. It can be a little confusing since there are so many variations of these three main lines, and the paint jobs are similar as well. However, it’s hard to argue with their meteoric rise, so they must be doing something right.
3. Head
- Sponsored Players: Novak Djokovic, Ashleigh Barty, Andy Murray
There are plenty of people who put Head at the top of the list for tennis racquet brands out there right now. There is really only a matter of personal preference with the top three, but they are third on this list for some very minor reasons.
Some feel like their racquet lineup is spread a little bit too thin right now, making it frustrating for shoppers to figure out exactly what they need. Others might think that while their lineup is impressive, it’s not as impressive as the top two.
Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Ashleigh Barty, and Coco Gauff are a few of the big names on tour right now who all play with head racquets. They have five main lines of racquets, which include the Instinct, Gravity, Speed, Radical, and Extreme. Having choices is great, but there’s a lot of overlap when looking at the different types of racquets in each line.
Pricing is pretty much on par with everyone else out there, so there’s nothing to worry about from that perspective. The good news is that there is a racquet out there for anyone shopping for Head racquets. It just might take a little bit longer to find exactly what works for them.
4. Yonex
- Sponsored Players: Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, Stan Wawrinka
Yonex racquets all have that recognizable squared-off head shape on their racquets. It’s designed to provide a bigger sweet spot and better control overall, and players who swear by the company feel like it gives them an edge.
Not everyone has bought in, but it’s a company that really just cares about providing great value for those who believe in them.
The biggest problem for them is trying to get people to give their rackets that opportunity to win them over. Their look isn’t for everyone, and not being a super popular option on tour hurts them somewhat as well. They have a few pros that are making waves, but nothing like the top brands on this list.
Their loyal fanbase continues to add new players each year once they make the switch, but they’ll probably never become a top-tier racquet company because of their outside-the-box approach to head shape.
5. Prince
- Sponsored Players: John Isner, Lucas Pouille
The tennis-only company has been in business since 1970. Although they are not as strong as they once were in the tennis market, they’ve carved out a pretty nice niche that allows them to stay relevant.
Yes, some people view them as a bit of an older brand that caters towards the older player only, but there are modern players having success with these racquets like John Isner and Lucas Pouille.
For anyone wanting a lot of free power, prince racquets are pretty good at that. They don’t have a lot of control-oriented racquets, but there are lines for people to try out that can fit into their playstyle.
They currently offer the Beast, Premier, Tour, Phantom, and Attack line of racquets for serious players. They are one of the cheapest high-end tennis companies, with even their top models routinely being under $200.
They might not be on the shortlist for younger players to try out, but they are surprisingly competitive with everyone else out there. They are worth giving a try if nothing else seems to be working. Players with a lot of issues generating power could benefit.
6. Tecnifibre
- Sponsored Players: Daniil Medvedev
Tecnifibre doesn’t have the marketing budget of other racquet companies out there, but they have been putting out options for quite a long time.
They are very specific when it comes to releasing new racquets and what they help with, allowing shoppers to figure out exactly what works for them before even thinking about doing a demo.
Back in the 1980s, Tecnifibre first came onto the scene in tennis as a string manufacturer. They then started to make their own racquets just in the last two decades, making them a bit of a newcomer compared to the competition.
Maybe their biggest breakthrough in recent memory has been Daniil Medvedev turning into one of the best tennis players in the world. With him using a Tecnifibre racquet and having success, this is starting to get people more intrigued by all they offer.
Their lines of racquets break down into male and female options. The T-Fight, T-Flash, and T-Fit are all performance-based options for men. The T-Rebound is a female-specific racquet. People can use whatever feels comfortable to them, but the player options are there.
7. Dunlop
- Sponsored Players: Kevin Anderson
Rounding out this list is Dunlop. They have been manufacturing golf and tennis equipment for a very long time, specializing in tennis balls above everything else. Most people have probably played with Dunlop tennis balls at some point, but their racquets have evolved into pretty good options as well.
Marketing is not something they have a lot of money to spend on, at least compared to the competition. That’s why they only boast a group of greats in the past, but no one that successful currently except Kevin Anderson.
With the CV, CX, and CZ series, they are all worth checking out and at least giving a demo if they are available at the local store. Not all tennis shops will even offer Dunlop racquets, but they compete well with everything else that’s out there.
Building Brand Loyalty
Tennis players tend to have brand loyalty when it comes to tennis racquets. If they are finding success and not injuring themselves with a certain racquet, they’re likely to purchase something from that same company when upgrading.
Do enough research at any tennis club, and all seven racquets have their fans. Many overlap as far as play is concerned as well.
With the right string setup, a quality tennis player will find subtle differences only across brands. This is where other factors like price, looks, and pro player influence might come into play.