Which women's tennis racket suits you?
The right women's tennis racket depends on your playing level and swing speed, not on gender. If you're just starting out, a light frame up to roughly 275 grams with a large head from 645 cm² is the safe choice, since it forgives off-centre hits and demands less strength. If you play club tennis regularly, a frame from around 275 grams onward gives you noticeably more stability against hard-hit balls. Choose your grip size based on your hand size.
Are there really dedicated women's tennis rackets?
There's no separate design built specifically for women. This category simply groups the frames that come lighter, easier to handle and in smaller grip sizes – a shopping shortcut, not a technical distinction. You can play any model from the full tennis racket range, as long as the weight and grip suit you. If you swing through with real power, you'll often find what you need faster among the rackets for advanced players. No racket compensates for shaky technique – it only makes the game easier or harder for you.
Five figures that shape your decision
- Weight: the lighter the frame, the faster you get to the ball – the heavier it is, the steadier it stays when a hard ball hits the strings. Rule of thumb: as heavy as you can still swing through cleanly in the third set.
- Head size and sweet spot: head size is the strung surface area in square centimetres. The sweet spot is the zone within it where a hit gives the best combination of control and power. Miss it and you lose precision and feel the shot in your wrist. The bigger the head, the bigger the sweet spot – and the more the racket forgives you.
- Balance: the point where the racket is in equilibrium, measured in millimetres from the butt of the handle. Set further forward, the frame is head-heavy and brings extra power on its own; set further back, the racket becomes more manoeuvrable at the net.
- String pattern: the number of main and cross strings, for example 16/19. Fewer strings mean a more open pattern, which means more spin, in other words more rotation on the ball. A denser pattern gives you more control instead. How harsh this feels also depends on the string itself – a string built for comfort dampens the impact further.
- Grip size: from 4" to 4½", the higher the number, the thicker the grip. When in doubt, take the smaller size: an overgrip – the thin tape you wind over the original grip – makes the handle thicker, but it never gets thinner again.
Which racket suits your playing level?
Three typical starting points, with figures taken from the product pages:
While you're still building your swing, a light, affordable frame will serve you better than a pro-level model. All the major brands are well represented in any case – HEAD, Babolat, Wilson and Yonex.
Good to know
You don't have to decide blind: through our demo rackets you can order up to three models and play with them on court for ten days. Every demo racket arrives freshly strung and with a new overgrip.
How long can a tennis racket be at most?
Under ITF rules, a tennis racket may be no more than 73.7 centimetres long and 31.7 centimetres wide. Standard adult models come in at around 68.5 centimetres, well under that limit – so with any regular purchase, you're always within the rules.
Does the racket come strung or unstrung?
This is stated on every product page under “racket type”. Both versions exist, and for some models side by side – the Babolat Pure Drive Lite is listed both strung and unstrung. An unstrung frame needs stringing before its first match.
Can my daughter use my racket too?
Not really, while she's still small: junior rackets are built shorter, the HEAD Radical Junior 26 measures 660 millimetres against 685 millimetres for adult models. You'll find the right sizes among the junior rackets, sorted by racket length in inches.
What does the L in model names like Clash 100L mean?
The L marks the lighter version of the same frame: the Wilson Clash 100L V3.0 weighs 280 grams, while the Clash 100 V3.0 weighs 295 grams. UL is lighter still – the Blade 100UL V10 comes in at 265 grams.