If you're looking for a new tennis racket, we can help. Our team has carefully gone through the massive inventory of current rackets to find the best rackets for every ability level. Here are our top picks.

Best rackets for beginners

Best rackets for intermediates

Best rackets for advanced players

A closer look at best beginner rackets

If you are just starting your tennis journey, you'll want a light and comfortable racket that makes learning the game easy. Here are the three rackets you should be looking at.

Wilson Six.One Racket (pre strung)

Why it’s the best: With this racket, Wilson delivers an easy learning curve to improving players. With its light 280 g strung weight, is perfect also for the occasional player who wants solid performance at a great price. This racket also gives you the benefit of a 665cm² head size, resulting in a more forgiving and user-friendly hitting surface.

HEAD Speed Power 2022 Racket

Why it’s the best: The Speed Power 2022 is one of the most comfortable and powerful members of Head's racket line. With its light weight and forgiving head size, this stick is ideal for beginners, savvy doubles specialists or any player looking for high comfort and easy power.

Babolat Boost Aero 2023 Racket (pre strung)

Why it’s the best: The Babolat Boost Aero is ideal for beginners or recreational players who want a great value. With its light weight and easy acceleration, the Boost Aero moves fast. The crisp feel and excellent control help with targeting, while still providing a smooth and lively response.

A closer look at best intermediate rackets

If you're an intermediate player, you will be able to rally with moderate power and consistency. You'll want a racket that complements your developing style, whether it be grinding out long points from the baseline or banging forehand winners from a dead sprint. Here are the rackets you should be looking at across the most important categories.

Best power & spin: Babolat Pure Aero Racket 2023 (tie)

Why it’s the best: This racket was built for the tornadic and angular mechanics of the modern game. Players looking to hit spin-loaded balls that drop hard and explode off the court will love how fast this stick whips through contact. Although it is weighted for intermediate players, the Pure Aero transcends ability level, making it as good for the dedicated beginner as it is for the wily veteran in the market for speed and spin.

Best power & spin: Yonex EZONE 100 (300g) Racket (tie)

Why it’s the best: We went back and forth whether to pick the EZONE 100 or the EZONE 98, and in the end, we went with the EZONE 100 since it's slightly more forgiving and more powerful but still as arm-friendly. Strong intermediates who want just a touch more control and something a little heavier will find it with the EZONE 98.

Best power & spin: HEAD Extreme MP 2022 Racket (tie)

Why it's the best: With this update Head serves up an impressive combination of speed, spin and power. Even though it's weighted for intermediate players, it should also appeal to the advanced ball striker who wants raw speed. Like our favorite modern player's rackets the Extreme MP is great for whipping up powerful spin-loaded balls that drop hard and explode off the court.

Best control & feel: Wilson Blade 98 16x19 v8 Racket (tie)

Why it’s the best: Updated in late 2021, the Blade 98 16x19 continues to impress. The Blade 98 16x19 v8 has a striking look with its chameleon paint and offers great performance. We noted a slight uptick in power compared to earlier versions, but the outstanding feel remains. The Blade 98 is spin-friendly thanks to its easy maneuverability and grippy 16x19 stringbed. Players looking to attack the ball with full swings will get the most out of this racket. For comfort and power, this stick pairs well with a multifilament or natural gut string. To maximize spin and control try the Blade 98 with your favorite co-poly string.

Best control & feel: HEAD Radical MP 2023 Racket (tie)

Why it’s the best: Like previous generations, this update offers easy targeting and great feel to intermediate and advanced players. Compared to the Radical Pro, the MP is a tad lighter and faster, but it still feels quite stable through impact, making it great for redirecting pace or loading the ball with spin. Even though it's not as spin-friendly as the Extreme line, aggressive players will find more than enough spin to effectively shape the ball's trajectory.

Best control & feel: Yonex Percept 100 Racket (tie)

Why it's the best: Being the fastest and most intermediate-friendly member of the Percept family, the Percept 100 is slightly more forgiving than the 625 cm² models. It also features a thicker, stiffer beam for added stability and easier power. At roughly 315 g strung and boasting a sub-320 swingweight, this racket comes around extremely fast, making it great for scrambling on defense, whipping up spin or reacting quickly at net.

Pro tip: If you’re looking for more control, select a racket with a more flexible beam and smaller head size. For players with flatter mechanics, a dense string pattern can help with control. For players who hit with spin and higher trajectories, a more open (spin-friendly) string pattern can help with control. You can add control to your current racket by increasing string tension and/or selecting a firmer string.

Best arm-friendly: Wilson Clash 100 v2.0 Racket (tie)

Why it’s the best: If you're for a power-loaded frame with a uniquely flexible feel, Wilson's Clash 100 v2 is an easy solution. This power-loaded racket makes it feel easy to hit shots deep into the court and also puts a priority on comfort. Our TWE playtesters found this second version to feel a little more stable than the original racket.

Best arm-friendly: ProKennex Ki 15 (300g) 2022 Blue Racket (tie)

Why it's the best: As the heaviest Ki 15 model, this racket is not only appropriate for intermediate players, but also for more advanced player looking for extra power and stability, thanks to the 677cm² head size. Comfort is impressive thanks to the Kinetic Technology, which deploys dynamic mass in the head to reduce the amount of shock that reaches your arm, and to the Comfort Cap, which adds Kinetic technology to the butt cap to attenuate residual vibrations.

Best arm-friendly: Tecnifibre TF-X1 285 Racket (tie)

Why it's the best: Rising intermediate players looking to turn up the heat will appreciate this racket's power. Compared to the TF-X1 300, this racket is a tad lighter and faster, making it easier for improving players to generate the stroke speed required for effective pace and spin. To help with comfort, the TF-X1 features an updated version of the dampening system developed by Rene Lacoste: called X-Damp.

A closer look at best rackets for advanced players

If you're an advanced player, you have a fully developed game and extensive experience playing competitive matches. In addition to finding a racket that complements your strengths, you’ll need enough mass to drive the ball powerfully through the court or redirect higher levels of pace. Here are the rackets you should be looking at across the most important categories.

Best power & spin: Babolat Pure Aero 98 Racket (tie)

Why it’s the best: There's no denying the power and spin of the Pure Aero line. Endorsed by Carlos Alcaraz, the Pure Aero 98 gives big hitters a powerfully precise weapon. Compared to the standard Pure Aero, this racket features a more compact head along with a denser string pattern and a thinner, more flexible beam. The payoff is extra control, which comes in handy on bigger cuts or when targeting the lines.

Best power & spin: Wilson Shift 99 (300g) Racket (tie)

Why it’s the best: Developed with extensive feedback from top coaches and elite players, the Shift 99 combines raw speed with spin-friendly precision and great feel. All in all, this is a great option for intermediate and advanced players who want a versatile modern player's racket that doesn't skimp on feel.