Top 9 Best Tennis Racquets for Beginners (2023 Buyer’s Guide)

To get started playing tennis, all you need is a tennis court, some tennis balls, and a tennis racquet.

Fortunately, the best tennis racquets for beginners are relatively inexpensive. You can get a great racquet for under $100, or you can opt for even cheaper ones in the ~$30 range.

The racquets in this post are intended for adult tennis players. If you’re looking for a racquet for a kid 12 and under, check out our post on junior tennis racquets.

Before we get into the reviews, here are a few of our top picks for the best beginner tennis racquets.

Our Top Picks – Best Beginner Tennis Racquets

Click on any of the links in the lists below to jump to the individual reviews in this post.

Best for Serious Beginners (Under or around $100)

• Head Ti.S6
• Head MicroGEL Radical
• Babolat Boost Drive
• Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3
• Wilson Blade Team
• Wilson Pro Staff Team

Best for Casual Beginners (Cheapest)

• Wilson Tour Slam
• Wilson Federer
• Head Ti.Conquest

How to choose a beginner tennis racquet

Here are a few important things to keep in mind as you choose the best tennis racquet for your situation.

Price – If you’re in the market for a beginner tennis racquet, your choice really comes down to two options. You can get a racquet for around $100, or you can get a very cheap beginner racquet for around $30.

If you’re a serious beginner, looking to improve your game, it’s worth getting a racquet in the ~$100 range. Your racquet will be better quality, last longer, and provide better control, helping you to improve your skills over time.

There’s really no reason, in our opinion, to be spending $200 or more on a tennis racquet for a beginner. Not only are they more expensive, but many intermediate and advanced tennis racquets will actually be more difficult for beginners to use. This can hurt your progress as you try to learn new skills and get the hang of tennis.

If you’re looking for the cheapest tennis racquet that’s still good quality, for recreational play or until you decide to upgrade later, then we have included some good budget options. The Wilson Tour Slam is our top pick for the best cheap tennis racquet.

Size & Weight – Beginners will typically want a racquet that is lightweight, so it’s easier to swing, and with a larger head size, so it’s easier to connect with the ball. For instance, the Wilson Tour Slam has a head size of 112 sq. in., and the Head Ti.S6 has a head size of 115 sq. in.

Pre-Strung – Tennis racquets can come strung or unstrung. Many advanced players will buy racquets unstrung so they can string them themselves, with better tennis strings and their preferred string tension.

As a beginner, you most likely don’t want to deal with stringing your own racquet, so you’ll want to make sure that the racquet you’re buying is strung or pre-strung. Most beginner tennis racquets come pre-strung, but it’s a good thing to get in the habit of double-checking before you buy a tennis racquet.

Head is one of the most trusted tennis brands, and the Ti.S6 is their best-selling Head brand racquet of all time.

The Head Ti.S6 has a large frame (27.75 inch length and 115 sq. in. head size), and yet it’s very lightweight. This combination makes it a really great option for beginners.

The lightweight frame makes this a very maneuverable racquet that’s easy to swing, and the extra length and large head size increase the chances of you connecting with the ball. This means you’ll miss fewer shots as you practice and work on improving your strokes.

The Ti.S6 is also a great value. For the price, it’s hard to find a better quality tennis racquet. Check the current price on Amazon, or read our full Head Ti.S6 review.

The Head MicroGEL Radical is a slightly lower-powered racquet that’s designed for control. In tennis racquets, there is often a trade-off between easy power and precise control. The MicroGEL Radical leans in favor of control. If you are a beginner or intermediate player, looking to improve your accuracy, it’s worth considering this racquet.

This racquets allows the ball deep into its stringbed, giving you a lot of potential for spin and accuracy. Check the price on Amazon, or read our full Head MicroGEL Radical review.

Babolat makes some of the best quality, highly reviewed advanced racquets on the market, including the Pure Aero, Pure Strike, and Pure Drive.

Their “Boost” racquet series are designed with beginners and intermediate players in mind. The Boost Drive is a lightweight and medium powered racquet that’s great for players who want a quality racquet without spending too much.

At a similar price, Babolat also offers the Boost Aero (in yellow) and the Boost Strike (in red). Any of these is a great racquets for beginners and intermediate tennis players looking to improve their skills.

Wilson is one of the most trusted names in tennis. And the Wilson Hyper Hammer 5.3 is one of their most popular tennis racquets for beginner and intermediate players.

And for good reason. The Hyper Hammer 5.3 generates a ton of power while giving you easy access to lots of spin. It offers a good mix of control and power, and it’s well balanced, stable, which helps you keep your racquet in place when returning fast shots. The lightweight frame makes it easy to swing and maneuver.

All in all, this is a great racquet for beginners looking to improve their tennis skills. Check the price and read more about it on Amazon.

The Wilson Blade Team is very lightweight, maneuverable, and a has great balance and stability. It has a slightly smaller head size (99 sq. in.) than some of the other racquets in this list, and it prioritizes control over power.

With a slightly higher price tag, it might be a better fit for beginner or intermediate players who are really taking tennis seriously and working to improve their game. Check the current price on Amazon.

Wilson’s Pro Staff line of racquets are some of the most highly reviewed racquets in the industry. They’ve been popularized by tennis superstars like Roger Federer (he uses a pro stock version of the Pro Staff RF97) and Pete Sampras.

The Pro Staff Team is a more entry-level racquet for this line, and it offers much of the same great control, power, and comfort this line is known for. But it comes in a much lighter frame, making it more easy to swing and handle for tennis players who can’t handle as much racquet as a pro like Roger Federer.

With a slightly higher price tag, this racquet is for beginners and intermediate players who are looking to get serious about improving their tennis game. Check the price and learn more on Amazon.

3 Cheap Tennis Racquets for Casual Beginners and Recreational Players

These next 3 racquets are some of the cheapest tennis racquets you can find that are still good quality. If you are a casual or recreational player, and you’re just looking for an inexpensive racquet that will do the job, you can find some great options for around $30.

The Wilson Tour Slam is one of the most popular cheap tennis rackets on the market. If you’re looking for an inexpensive racket for casual, recreational play, it’s hard to find a better value.

It’s durable, comfortable, and offers easy access to power.

Check the price on Amazon or read our full review here: Wilson Tour Slam Adult Strung Racket Review.

The Wilson Federer is another popular option for beginners from Wilson. It’s slightly more expensive than the Tour Slam, but offers the same easy access to power. It’s a little bit heavier as well, so some players who find the Tour Slam to be too light may find a better fit in the Wilson Federer. Check the price and learn more on Amazon.

The Head Ti.Conquest is one of Head’s cheapest and most popular beginner tennis racquets. It’s a very inexpensive option for beginners who want a racquet from a trusted brand. Check the price and learn more on Amazon.

Summary & Recommendations

If you’re looking for a beginner tennis racquet, there are two main price ranges to choose from.

Serious, committed beginners and intermediate players will benefit the most from using a racquet somewhere in the $100 range. Our top picks are the Head Ti.S6, which is a great all-around racquet, or the Wilson Pro Staff Team, if you’re looking to spend just a little bit more. Both of these racquets are extremely popular and well-reviewed.

For casual, recreational beginners who want a cheap tennis racquet, we recommend the Wilson Tour Slam. It’s a great racquet, and it’s hard to find any that are much cheaper.

We hope this helps you pick a tennis racquet! If you’re just getting started with tennis, check out our helpful resources on how to play tennis, tennis terms, and the best shoes for playing tennis.

Have fun out there!

Post last updated on January 13, 2023