Best Women’s Tennis Rackets 2023 (Reviews: 5+ Top Racquets)
Tennis has come a long way in gender equality over the past few decades. There was a time when wooden rackets and stereotypes meant that tennis was a very male-dominated sport. However, nowadays with improvements in technology, mindset, as well as the game becoming more globalized, tennis is one of the most forward-thinking sports out there.
There are many female role models in the tennis world, including Serena Williams, Emma Raducanu, and Naomi Osaka to name a few. This has led to so many young women picking up the sport of tennis in recent years, which is only helping to grow the sport further.
With this in mind, while there aren’t rackets geared towards men or women specifically, some trends should be considered across the ATP and WTA tour that is worth taking note of.
So, let’s consider what makes a great women’s racket and what aspiring female tennis players should look for when picking their perfect racket!
Our Recommended Best Women's Tennis Rackets 2023
Babolat Pure Drive
Read Our ReviewWilson Ultra 100 V3
Read Our ReviewWilson Clash 100
Read Our ReviewDunlop FX 500
Read Our ReviewYonex Ezone 100
Read Our ReviewHead Boom
Buy NowWhat to Consider When Picking a Tennis Racket
There are a number of things to consider when picking a tennis racket in general for both men and women. However, there are a few differences between what a woman may prefer in a racket as opposed to what men look for.
Budget
The first thing to consider is what the tennis racket costs. Just because you may be buying a tennis racket on a budget doesn’t mean you have to compromise on quality. There are plenty of high-quality pre-owned tennis rackets out there, and even new rackets that are from previous seasons.
The important thing to remember when it comes to budget is to stick to what you have and get the best racket available for the money. Don’t worry about following trends or comparing what you have to others, as there is no such thing as the perfect tennis racket, it is only the best one for you that matters.
Swing Speed
The next factor to consider when picking the perfect tennis racket is how fast you tend to swing at the ball. Swing speed comes down not only to your individual strength but also to game style.
There are some players that like to play with more control and precision, placing the ball exactly where they want to and allowing their accuracy to do the talking. Whereas, there are other players that prefer to play predominately with power and spin.
Control players tend to guide the ball and perhaps use a lower swing speed, whereas power and spin players need a lot of racket head speed to generate those RPMs and tame their natural aggression.
The type of racket you choose should suit your game style, whether that means you are a player that likes to hit the ball flat, with more spin, using high or low swing speed.
Players that like to hit the ball with spin tend to prefer more aerodynamic, lighter rackets that have open string patterns and are easy to swing quickly. Whereas players that prefer to hit a flatter, more controlled ball want to get more precision from their racket, so may opt for one that has a smaller head size, is heavier, and has a more old-school feel.
Weight
Weight is a very personal part of choosing a great tennis racket for you. Most women playing at the recreational level tend to favor rackets that fall in the 280-310g range, so bear this in mind when eyeing up the specs of your new racket.
Also, consider that weight and swing weight are two different things. Whilst a racket may have a lower weight (also known as static weight), the swing weight of the racket is also determined by the balance of the racket.
If two rackets are 300g, but one has a head-heavy balance, this means it will be more difficult to swing, but also act more like a sledgehammer and offer more power. Whereas, if a racket is head-light, meaning it has more of its weight distributed towards the grip, it will be easier to maneuver around the net.
Head Size
Head size is another important factor that is worth taking into account. Rackets with a larger head will offer more forgiveness and power, whereas smaller-headed rackets will offer more control and precision.
Game Style
The style of game you like to express yourself with on the court will play a major role in determining the type of racket you want to play with. If you are an aggressive baseliner, your requirements will be quite different to someone that is more of a counter-puncher.
More aggressive players that like to hit big tend to prefer rackets that are more control focussed, so they can tame their power. On the other hand, players that prefer to use their controlled, consistent play to break down their opponents may prefer a more forgiving racket to absorb their opponent’s power.
Overall though, it is important to think about your own game style and what you personally want out of a tennis racket and try out a few options that suit the specifications that deliver that specific feeling.
String Pattern
The string pattern chosen also plays a role in determining whether a racket is right for you. A more open string pattern (with a lower number of mains and crosses), will offer more spin, whereas a more closed string pattern (with a higher number of mains and crosses) will offer more control.
Men’s vs Women’s Tennis Rackets
In general, tennis rackets are considered unisex. There aren’t really specific makes or models that suit men or women in particular. Most recreational players tend to gravitate towards the type of rackets that their favorite professional players use, male or female.
That being said, given the women’s game tends to feature more flat hitting down the middle of the court than the men’s game, there is a tendency for more women to use larger-headed, power-orientated rackets to emphasize this trend.
Men often opt for heavier, smaller-headed frames with more control, whereas women often go for slightly more forgiving rackets that offer more power and spin. This is of course a generalization and there are exceptions to this, but this tends to be the case more often than not on the professional tour at least.
Best Women’s Tennis Rackets
So, here are our top picks for the best women’s tennis rackets. This list is in no particular order, as the racket you go for is an individual choice that should be determined using the factors above.
These are some of our top recommendations for women out there looking to maximize their tennis game!
Babolat Pure Drive
The Babolat Pure Drive has been a popular racket amongst the WTA tour for a number of years now, thanks to its unrivaled power and plow-through. Players like Kim Clijsters and Garbine Muguruza have wielded the Pure Drive to grand slam victories, thanks to the large sweet spot that enhances their powerful games.
The original Pure Drive comes in 100 sq in and 300g specifications, but there is also a range of different layups to choose from. There are heavier and lighter versions available, and some even have larger head sizes for more forgiveness and power.
Either way, the Babolat Pure Drive is a stiff, powerful racket that will do a lot of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to generating a tonne of power. This is a popular racket for good reason, it is easy to swing, offers easy power, and suits an aggressive baseliner game style.
Babolat Pure Drive Tennis Racquet
Wilson Ultra 100
The Wilson Ultra 100 is actually a very popular racket on the WTA tour. Players like Maria Sakkari, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, and Ajla Tomljanovic all rely on the supple, well-balanced feel of the Ultra to guide them to victory.
The Wilson Ultra is a great all-rounder, offering plenty of power, spin, and comfort that suits the modern women’s game down to the ground. This racket is easy to swing and is perfect for a beginner to the intermediate player who wants a solid base to improve their game with.
There is a lot to be said for a racket that ticks boxes across multiple categories of racket specs, and the Ultra does that brilliantly. Wilson tends to be associated with control-based rackets, and you can feel these influences in the Ultra too. There is a great feel to this racket, which compliments the natural suppleness, power, and spin very nicely.
Wilson Ultra 100
Wilson Clash 100
A pretty unique offering from Wilson is the Clash 100. Wilson added their FORTYFIVE technology to the Clash in a bid to create a racket that was powerful, spin-friendly, comfortable, AND stable all at the same time.
This is no mean feat, as generally a racket will be stable, stiff, and powerful, but lack feel, or supple and control-oriented but lack power.
The Wilson Clash 100 manages to combine these playing characteristics brilliantly, offering a unique blend of power, stability, comfort, and control. The Clash whips through the air and is easy to swing, making it great for spin generation too. This racket definitely suits the women’s game and will offer a great blend of spin, comfort, and power to complement big ball strikers.
Wilson Clash 100
Dunlop FX 500
Another power focussed racket that is perfect for big hitters that want to boss their opponents around is the Dunlop FX 500. This is a powerful and forgiving racket that suits players that like to impose their game onto their foe.
The FX 500 is a pretty stiff racket on paper, and whilst it won’t win any awards for feel and comfort, it is a pretty forgiving racket given its specs. Dunlop has worked hard to implement effective damping technology into the FX 500, to give it s degree of shock absorption for when players are really hammering the ball.
You’ll get a rock solid, predictable feel from the Dunlop FX 500, perfect for the player that wants to get in the zone and chip away at their opponent through heavy hitting.
Dunlop FX 500
Head Boom
A relatively new addition to the Head racket lineup is the Boom. This is a racket geared towards power, and it is pretty easy to see why it gets its name! The racket features a head-heavy balance so is perfect for players that want to crunch the ball with plenty of power.
Coco Gauff has switched to the Boom and is now hitting the ball bigger than ever! You can expect plenty of spin from the Boom too, thanks to its open string pattern. This means you’ll be hitting heavy balls that will push your opponent back behind the baseline with ease.
Head Boom
Yonex Ezone 100
The Yonex Ezone 100 is a forgiving, comfortable, and powerful racket that combines a supple feel with energy return and spin. This well-balanced racket is trusted by Jessica Pergula, Belinda Bencic, and Naomi Osaka, all big hitters that love to hit the ball smoothly.
The Ezone 100 is great for players that want to combine power, spin and comfort all in the same racket.
Yonex Ezone 100
Custom Tennis Racket Fitting Service
If you need any additional help picking a great tennis racket, check out our custom fitting service. We take the stress out of choosing your next tennis racket, as we use our expert knowledge to offer you three racket options, string combinations, and tensions. This is all based on personalized information that you provide us through our questionnaire, so every custom fitting is unique and bespoke to your needs.
Summary
Overall, buying a new tennis racket is a very personal process. What is great for one player may be another’s worst nightmare! Choosing the right racket for you is an essential part of enhancing your game. But, in order to do this, you need to first understand your own game, what your strengths and weaknesses are and how a racket should complement your game style.
There are a number of factors to consider when picking a tennis racket, including weight, head size, price, and balance. With all this in mind, women should also factor in more forgiveness and power considering the female game tends to be played with flatter shots.
We hope you have found this guide to the best women’s tennis rackets useful, and we wish you good luck with your search!
Find Your Perfect Racket and String Combo with a Custom Fitting
Explore more
Jan 4, 2024 • Babolat Pure Strike
Babolat Pure Strike Tour 3rd Gen Tennis Racket Review
A Powerful and Precise Weapon for Advanced Players Babolat's Pure Strike is one of our favorite racket families, celebrated for delivering exceptional control and the potential to unleash tremendous power. During our playtest, we experienced firsthand how this racket is tailor-made for advanced players with aggressive, full swings who want…
Read MoreNov 7, 2023 • Babolat Pure Aero
Babolat Pure Aero 98 (2023) Review
Looking for a high-performance tennis racket that will take your game to the next level? The Babolat Pure Aero 98 (2023) might just be the answer. In this review, we'll dive into the features and benefits of this popular tennis racket, helping you make an informed decision before your next…
Read More