How much does a professional tennis racket cost?

One of the many memorable moments of this year’s Wimbledon Men’s final was the sight of Novak Djokovic destroying his racquet out of frustration. When it comes to tennis’ top-ranked players such as Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur, one can imagine that they are using high-level and thereby expensive tennis racquets.

But just how much does a racquet cost? Let’s find out!

Understanding tennis racket prices

As is the case with any sport, having the right equipment is essential whether playing casually or professionally. Indeed, sometimes it can even mean the difference between safety and injury. Tennis is no different, in fact, one could argue that given the central role that the racket plays in the game, it’s likely more important than even the footwear that players use. So just how much do professional rackets cost and on what basis does one make a choice?

There is of course a wide range of rackets in the market today - more than 20 top brands to be precise - with the most expensive of them costing upwards of $700 after several hundred dollars’ worth of customization. On the other hand, you can pick up a racket for as little as $20 at your local sporting goods store. With that said there are four main categories of rackets out there today that you’re likely to find when looking for a new one: Power Rackets, Control or Player’s Rackets, Tweener Rackets and Modern Player’s Rackets. These categories are based on a player’s swing type, which is either slow and compact, fast and full, or moderate , i.e. somewhere in between. Understandably prices will differ depending on which of the above-mentioned categories you fall into.

What’s the right racket to buy?

As one can imagine buying a tennis racket always starts with the basic question of ‘which one is the right one? The simple answer to that question begins with whether you are a beginner, intermediate player or advanced i.e. a professional or on the way to being one. So, let’s get into it:

Beginner

If you’re just getting into the game and have never played before or perhaps you hit a few balls around with a friend, then you’re probably going to want to go with a power or tweener racket. If you’ve played other sports and have decent hand eye coordination, the tweener will definitely give you returns. With that said, there is no need to throw away cash on your first racket. You can find a decent list of beginner’s rackets here, but if you’re wondering about price specific information, we can tell you that the cheapest one on the list will run you about $100. Additionally, you can take a look here for a list of inexpensive racquets that are on the market today.

Intermediate

As an intermediate player, you’ve been playing tennis for some time and your skill set has definitely matured during that period. As such you’re probably looking to time to experiment with a tweener racquet assuming you didn’t start out with one as a beginner. Take a look at the previously mentioned list of racquets for beginners for more information on tweeners.

Advanced

This is where things get serious. By the time you’re playing at this kind of level, you’ve probably long since developed a style and approach and as such you’ve been playing with a specific racquet for some time. It’s at this point that you would probably want to consider getting yourself a custom racquet. When playing at a high level, it’s the small details that often make the biggest difference. That’s to say that small tweaks to a player’s racquet can often yield significant benefits in terms of performance. Further to that you will want to ensure that all of your racquets match such that you can ensure a seamless transition as you switch racquets during a match. Custom racquets start at around $300, but depending on what want you can expect to pay much more. To be clear any of the top racquets can be easily customized.

What’s the right fit?

By now it should be clear that there are literally hundreds of racquets out there on the market today. What that means is that when it comes to buying one, it really requires that you’re honest with yourself about your skill level, style of play, long-term goals, and of course budget. Assuming you check those boxes then the process should in fact become simpler and in turn, reduce the risk of injury while increasing the chances of fun and enjoyment.

We’d also recommend using the advice of a coach or player at your local court. They can undoubtedly help you with perspective on your own game which in turn can help you select the right racquet. With that said, be wary of the brands pushed by tennis clubs as they are often based on not only the manufacturers with whom they have a partnership but the types of players they most frequently see at the club itself. That’s it from us. We hope this guide of ours has helped you on the way to your new tennis racquet!