How to choose a kids' tennis racket
Junior tennis rackets are sized by length, from 17 to 26 inches, and you pick by your child's height rather than their age. A child up to 100 cm (3ft 3in) needs a 17- or 19-inch frame, while 140 to 160 cm suits a 26-inch. If your child falls between two sizes, take the shorter one: control matters more than reach, and a frame that drags along the ground pushes young players into poor technique and wrist strain.
Which junior racket size fits your child's height?
Age is only a rough guide. The height bands below follow the recommendations on the rackets in our own range, so measure first, then confirm with the standing test.
The standing test: have your child stand upright and hold the racket by the handle, arm relaxed at their side, head of the frame pointing down. There should be roughly a one-inch gap between the tip of the frame and the floor. If it touches or drags, the racket is too long; if it sits well clear, your child has outgrown it.
Aluminium or graphite: which frame does your child need?
- Aluminium and alloy frames are shaped in one piece from a metal tube. They cost less, survive being dropped on a hard court and suit a child playing once a week or trying tennis for the first time, like the Babolat Carlitos Jr.
- Graphite and composite frames use carbon fibre in a resin matrix, often blended with fibreglass or kevlar. Stiffer and lighter for the same strength, so less shock reaches the arm and control improves. Worth the extra once a child trains weekly or competes.
Which racket suits each Mini Tennis stage?
If your child plays in the LTA's Mini Tennis programme, the stage sets the racket length as well as the ball. The stage balls themselves sit in our Play & Stay balls collection.
- Red (ages 4–8): 19 to 23 inch racket, red low-compression ball, mini court.
- Orange (ages 8–9): 23 to 25 inch racket, orange ball around 50% slower than yellow, three-quarter court.
- Green (ages 9–10): 25 to 26 inch racket, green ball around 25% slower than yellow, full court.
Which junior racket should you buy?
Babolat, HEAD, Wilson and Yonex all scale their adult flagship lines down for juniors, so a child can play a smaller version of the frame a parent or sibling already uses: Pure Aero Junior, Radical Junior, Blade 26 V10. Dunlop, Tecnifibre and Racket Roots cover the entry end. Signature models carry a player's name instead of a series, among them HEAD's Coco line, named after ambassador Coco Gauff, and Babolat's Nadal Junior. Length matters more than the badge, so settle the size first.
Junior frames use the smallest grip sizes, labelled 000, 00 and 0. Many come in one fixed size, so there is nothing to decide; others, such as the Pure Aero Junior 25, run from 000 up to 1. Given a choice, take the smaller handle and build it up with an overgrip as your child grows. Kids' tennis shoes belong on the list too, our racket advisor narrows things down if you are unsure, and a fresh set of tennis strings costs far less than a new frame once the factory string gives out.
Frequently asked questions
When should my child move up to a 27-inch adult racket?
Most children switch to a full-size 27-inch racket once they are taller than about 160 cm (5ft 3in) and can swing a 26-inch frame through a full rally without dropping the racket head. That is usually around 12 or 13, but strength and technique matter more than the birthday.
What size tennis racket does a 7-year-old need?
A 7-year-old of average height, roughly 115 to 125 cm (3ft 9in to 4ft 1in), is normally best suited to a 23-inch junior racket. Measure the child rather than going by age: hold the racket at their side and check that the frame stops about an inch short of the ground.
Do junior tennis rackets come pre-strung?
Yes. Every junior racket in our range is sold strung from the factory with a durable synthetic string, so it is ready to play out of the box. A replacement only becomes worth it once the original breaks or has clearly lost tension.