The Best Tennis Rackets

Whilst there is of course no single ‘best tennis racket’ out there, there are certainly some rackets that perform different roles better than others.

Some rackets are better for control, some for spin, and some for arm friendliness.

So, whether you are an advanced player looking to sharpen your game or a beginner that is looking for your first proper tennis racket, this guide will serve you in finding the ideal tennis racket for you!

What Makes the Best Tennis Racket?

A tennis racket should feel like an extension of your arm as you hit the ball.

It should fit like a glove and feel as natural and smooth as possible if it fulfills your needs correctly.

When you are choosing a new tennis racket there are a range of factors you should look for, such as weight, balance, and stiffness. 

However, tennis rackets can be much like shoes in the sense that it can be a long and arduous process to actually find the option that fits you perfectly.

What works for one player may be too heavy, stiff, or powerful for another.

Additionally, even when you find a racket that is a great fit, you may then want to add a different grip, change the weight or balance of the racket and string it with your favorite string set up.

Again, this can add to the long and time-consuming process of getting your racket exactly the way you want it.

However, this is important to do as it will help you feel more confident on court, improve your game and prevent unwanted injuries.

In order to speed up the process, why not try our signature custom fitting service?

It is a fantastic way to understand what your most suitable options are when it comes to picking your next tennis racket.

We tailor the service to suit your needs, as you will fill in our detailed player questionnaire that helps us understand your needs, wants, and playing preferences.

We can then recommend a variety of racket, string, and tension options to take for a demo, helping you find the best on-court weapon for you!

How to Choose the Best Tennis Racket

Now, when it comes to actually choosing your new racket, it can be easy to let your emotions get the better of you.

Many players want to use what they think is the same racket as their favorite player they see on TV, but in reality, the pros use heavily modified and customized pro stock rackets.

This means that even if the racket you see in your local pro shop looks similar to the one Rafael Nadal is using, it will actually perform very differently.

With that being said, actually choosing a tennis racket that suits your game style, level of play, physicality and specialized requirements can be a daunting and time-consuming task.

Particularly if you are inexperienced in choosing tennis rackets for yourself, finding the correct weight, balance, stiffness, technology, head size, grip size and beam thickness on your own can be a minefield!

And we haven’t even got started on strings! So, if you are having trouble deciding on the type of racket to go for, feel free to check out our custom fitting service after you finish reading this guide.

You will have an experienced pair of hands on your side, guiding you through the process step by step, helping you find the perfect racket to suit your game.

You should go for a racket that you can swing comfortably, without having to strain your body to hit the ball with.

It should be heavy enough to give you a good amount of plow through on your shots, but not so heavy that your arm is aching after playing for half an hour!

Of course, the quality and type of racket you use will also be determined how often you actually play tennis.

So if you are playing every day and competing regularly, a control focussed racket would probably suit you well.

Whereas, if you are only playing once per week, a more arm-friendly or forgiving racket that offers a bit more forgiveness and a larger sweet spot would be more appropriate.

The 11 Best Rackets

So, here we are.

Whilst we can’t give this accolade to one individual racket, we have broken down our list into categories based on playing experience and specific qualities you may be looking for.

These are power, spin, control, and comfort. The reason for this is that each player is individual and will need a racket to provide them with assistance in different ways.

A junior player that has only just picked up a racket for the first time would struggle massively trying to play with a racket optimized for an experienced professional tennis player!

So, with that being said let’s explore the 12 best tennis rackets for 2021!

The Best Rackets for Beginner Players

As a beginner player, you will be just starting out on your tennis journey.

Everyone has to start somewhere, so whatever your age and previous experience, we can find a racket that will suit you!

Most beginner players will have had little to no previous tennis experience, so will be looking for a forgiving racket that will offer them accessible power as they focus on developing their technique.

Therefore, a racket with a larger head size that will offer access to easy power, whilst remaining stable and have a consistent, reliable feel is the ideal fit for a beginner player.

Now, whilst this rule of thumb is certainly a good general approach for beginners, certain rackets are better designed for power, spin, control of comfort than others.

It is important to understand what you are looking for in your racket in general, but this should start you off nicely!

Here are some of our favorites, but check out our article on the best beginner tennis rackets for even more info!

The Best Rackets for Intermediate Players

The intermediate player is after a bit more performance from their racket, whilst retaining that easy-to-use, comfortable playability that beginner rackets offer in spades.

Ideally, it allows you to build on the techniques you have already developed and fine-tune them further is what you should look for.

Now, this is not always easy to find, as you may find yourself in a halfway house between player-friendly, easy-to-use rackets that don’t offer the feel you seek, but you may also find playing with incredibly stiff, heavy rackets aimed at performance players too challenging.

Intermediate rackets are perfect for good-level club players and weekend warriors that are looking to get the most out of their game, but don’t want to feel like they are trying to thread a needle every time they try to hit the ball!

For an even more detailed look at the best rackets for intermediate players take a look at our dedicated article.

The Best Rackets for Advanced Players

When it comes to rackets aimed at advanced players, we are looking at options for the most experienced and athletic players out there.

These rackets are optimized for performance in their respective areas, so no expense is spared here!

These finely tuned rackets are ideal for those players that need a reliable, high-performing weapon they can take on to court and trust in the biggest moments.

We’ve picked out some of our favorites, but for a more detailed look, check out our article on the best rackets for advanced players.

Takeaways: The Best Tennis Rackets

Overall, there are a wide variety of great rackets out there for players of all abilities to try.

Finding the stick that suits your needs is the best way to get great results on court.

Therefore, understanding your game and your individual needs is a great place to start with your research for a new racket.

This is, after all, a very important decision to make, so it’s about taking your time and gathering as much information as possible.

Therefore, using our custom fitting service can really help take the stress out of the initial racket choosing process, as we recommend a range of options based on your specific needs.

A very important next step is to actually playtest the rackets you are considering!

This will give you a true insight into how they feel and whether they really do match up to your game.

Hopefully, by this point, you will be able to pick the best racket for you!

We hope our guide gave you some valuable insights and good luck with your search!