The Best Babolat Tennis Rackets (for Every Type of Player)


Babolat have been producing tennis equipment since 1875, and today they manufacture a range of rackets that offers something for everyone. Whether you are on a tight budget, or money is no object, there is a Babolat racket for you.

There are rackets which enhance power, spin, and control, and others which will protect against the dreaded tennis elbow. In this article we will look at the best Babolat racket in a number of categories, and will attempt to pick an overall winner. This will of course be completely subjective, and everyone will have their own, equally valid opinion- but it will still be fun to try!

We will choose the best Babolat racket in seven categories: best for control; best for power; best for beginners; best for tennis elbow; best under $100; best for spin; and best for intermediate players. We will consider the strengths of each frame and select what we believe to be the best Babolat racket.

1) Best Babolat For Control: Babolat Pure Strike 18×20

The Pure Strike 18×20 has a 98 square-inch head size, and weighs 323g. It has a medium stiffness rating of 66, a head-light balance and an 18×20 string pattern. The Pure Strike 18×20 is ideal for players who generate high levels of racket-head speed, and for them it offers a good combination of power and control. The dense string pattern and compact head aid maneuverability and control. This string pattern also enhances string life. The relatively high swingweight of 334 means that it is best suited to physically strong players. 

2) Best For Power: Babolat Pure Drive 107 2021

The Pure Drive 107 weighs 301g and features a large 107 square-inch head which supports forgiveness of off-centre contacts. It has a head-light balance and an open 16×19 stringing pattern. Babolat measure the Pure Drive 107 as being stiffer than average with a rating of 69, which helps it to provide a high level of power. The Pure Drive 107 can offer power to players with moderate racket head speed, and the large head reduces mishits. Due to its large head, it lacks the maneuverability of an advanced player’s racket, and is not designed for control. Testers find it enjoyable to play with, despite the occasional loss of control. 

3) Best For Beginners: Babolat Boost Aero Yellow

The Boost Aero Yellow is a head-heavy racket which weighs 278g strung, with a swingweight of 306. It has an open 16×19 string pattern, and has a stiffness rating of 67. The Boost Aero has a larger-than-average 102 square-inch head, and looks quite similar to the pricier Pure Aero. It is not an especially powerful racket, but, for players with a reasonable amount of racket head speed, it will help in the creation of spin. The racket lacks a little stability, which can cause issues with precision and control, especially at the net.

4) Best For Tennis Elbow: Babolat Evoke 105 – 2021

The EVOKE 105 has a significantly larger than average 105 square-inch head, and a solid weight of 289g strung, with a slightly head-heavy balance. Its solidity and forgiving head protect against the vibrations which can aggravate tennis elbow. It has an open, 16×19 stringing pattern, which helps in the development of power and spin, although with a flexibility rating of 57 this is far from being a stiff frame. Restrung with high quality string at a reduced tension, and with careful attention paid to grip size, this flexible bargain racket could be ideal for a club player with elbow issues.

5) Best Under $100: Babolat Boost Drive 2021

The Boost Drive weighs 272g strung, and has a fairly large 105 square-inch head. It has an open 16×19 string pattern, and a stiffness rating of 65 on Babolat’s scale. The Boost Drive has a slightly head-heavy balance, resulting in a swingweight of 312. The large head means that the racket is fairly forgiving of off-centre strikes. The racket is quite powerful due to the balance and stringing pattern, despite the relative lack of stiffness. The stringing pattern supports the generation of spin, although the large head is not conducive to high racket-head speed. Maneuverability may also be slightly limited, although the light weight will help.

6) Best For Spin: Babolat Pure Aero

The Pure Aero offers maximum spin potential, combined with plenty of power, for advanced players, and is endorsed by Rafael Nadal. The racket weighs 300g unstrung, with a 100 square-inch head. The Pure Aero has an  open 16×19 string pattern, but has a more flexible frame than many similar rackets, measuring 66 on Babolat’s stiffness scale. Reviewers generally agree that the Pure Aero offers excellent levels of spin and power, although some question its stability. Nonetheless, for players who generate a lot of racket head speed and hit aggressively from the baseline it should be very effective.

7) Best For Intermediate Players: Babolat Pure Drive VS

The Pure Drive VS is a more maneuverable, control-oriented version of the famously powerful Pure Drive, weighing in at 318g. It has a 98 square-inch head, but features a head-light balance and an open 16×19 stringing pattern, so it will still support players in generating a lot of power and spin. The smaller head allows more maneuverability and control, which could be very helpful for many intermediate players given the power produced. The Pure Drive VS has a thinner beam than the original Pure Drive, which some reviewers have suggested reduces its stability. Essentially, however, it is a slightly tamer version of the Pure Drive.

Final Thoughts

We’ve looked at seven great rackets, but which one gets the overall crown? It probably has to be the Babolat Pure Aero. It’s spin-oriented design is not for everyone, but it epitomises everything Babolat are about. It encourages you to race around the baseline hitting heavily-spun aggressive balls, imagining that you are Rafa, and if it helps you to play even a little like the great man, then that’s good enough for us!

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Gui Hadlich

I got a chance to play junior and professional tournaments across the world, and in 2015 I began playing as the #1 player for Pepperdine University, a great division 1 school. I’ve had the chance to play against great names of the new generation, like Christian Garin, Cameron Norrie, and Kyle Edmund. I’m extremely passionate about the mental and technical part of the game. Oh, and I had lunch with Brad Gilbert once.

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