Review: Rafael Nadal’s Tennis Racquet – The Babolat Pure Aero

The Babolat Pure Aero is by far one of the most popular tennis racquets on the market. The first version of this bestseller was released more than 15 years ago, indicating the success of this racquet.

One of the success factors was certainly the cooperation with Rafael Nadal, who never played with any other racket in his professional career. Since the first model, a lot has happened to the Pure Aero, both technically and visually.

In 2019, Babolat released a new edition of their famous tennis racquet. This racquet is said to have even more spin and power than its predecessor. Find out how the model performed in our test.

Let’s start with the specs of the new Babolat Pure Aero:

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam Width: 23-26-23 mm
• Stiffness: 67 RA
• Weight: 300 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 32 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 22-25 kg (recommended)

Compared to the previous 2015 version, the features of the racket have hardly changed at all. The only difference we noticed is that the stiffness has been minimally reduced.

More precisely, the old model had 69 RA. According to this, the new frame with a hardness of 67 RA is a little softer. Even if the difference seems rather small, you can still feel the difference.

Otherwise the Pure Aero usually has a head size of 645 cm² and a weight of 300 g. With a balance point of 32 cm, the racquet is also slightly head light and has an open string pattern.

As expected, the Babolat Pure Aero again comes in the classic color combination. The bright yellow in combination with the elegant black gives the design the appropriate kick. With its matte finish, this model looks very high quality.

This racket literally attracts all eyes.

Its aerodynamic shape also stands out. A characteristic feature is the throat, which is wider and rounder in the Pure Aero. This shape reduces drag as the racquet swings. This allows you to accelerate the racquet better.

Babolat has long been considered one of the most innovative racket manufacturers. This aspect is also evident inside the Pure Aero. In concrete terms, two technologies are used in this model. Through years of research, Babolat has adapted them over and over again.

Babolat has developed a special damping system for its racquets that significantly reduces vibrations on contact with the ball. Babolat has installed this “Cortex System” into the racket head. In the previous models it was still located at the top of the handle.

In general, the dampening system does not absorb all vibrations, but rather directs part of them to the handle. This allows you to feel the ball more accurately when you hit it, which gives you better control.

In general, the Pure Aero range is known for its racquets with enormous spin potential. With the “Frame String Interaction” (FSI) technology, much more spin should now be possible. The special feature here is that the grommets at the throat and the tip of the racquet have an elongated shape instead of a round one.

These grommets provide the main strings with more freedom of movement so that the string bed gets more grippy. As a result, the ball stays longer on the strings, allowing you to create more spin.

Now that we’ve pointed out all the technology details, let’s take a close look at how the Pure Aero performs on the court. Our testers were very excited about this racquet, as many of them play with a Babolat racquet themselves. We have again divided our test into different categories.

We especially liked the sweetspot of the Babolat Pure Aero. The sweet spot is quite big here, as the racket head measures 645 cm².

Basically we felt that the racquet corrects badly hit shots better. As a result, fewer of our shots ended up out of bounds. Therefore, this model is recommended for all tennis players who have difficulties finding the optimal contact point with the racket.

Now let’s get to the Pure Aero’s trademark. As mentioned briefly above, this racquet offers an extremely spin-friendly experience. What else should you expect from Rafael Nadal’s longstanding racquet?

For one thing, the open 16×19 string pattern ensures that the ball is given a high degree of rotation. On closer inspection we noticed that the distance between the strings has been increased a bit. This alone gives you more topspin in your shots than with the previous version.

In combination with the FSI Spin Technology the spin adds up even more. The bottom line is that we have never had a racquet with such high spin potential before. It is the perfect racquet if you want to get as much spin as possible with little effort.

The second big plus of this racquet is its extreme power. Already in the first rallies the racquet was very explosive. Even with short swings the ball had a relatively high speed. This is partly due to the thicker frame of the Pure Aero. Additionally, the flexible stringbed intensifies this effect.

Basically, the ratio of power input to acceleration is outstanding on the new model. From our point of view, the power level of the Pure Aero is now higher than ever before. If you like to play with a lot of power, then this racquet might be interesting for you.

Although Babolat advertises that the new version is tuned for better control, we could not find this in our test. For example, if you don’t hit the sweetspot, the Pure Aero will feel a little shaky. At that moment the racquet does not look stable.

Especially straight and flat shots were difficult to control with this racquet. As we hit some shots with topspin the control increased a bit. So we think the focus of this racquet is still on spin and power.

Essentially, the Pure Aero is designed for the baseline game. For example, during rallies, we could play very powerful shots from the baseline so that the ball landed deep in the opponent’s court.

Also, the enormous topspin made the ball bounce quite high on the other side. With shots like this you put a lot of pressure on your opponent and keep him behind the baseline all the time.

What’s more, the Pure Aero allows you to switch from defense to offense at lightning speed. You can start off with a long baseline duel and then hit an approach shot at the right moment.

With regard to the markup, the model also convinced the majority of our testers. In most cases, the ball went over the net into the respective service area without any problems.

The Babolat Pure Aero showed its weakness only on a straight serve. As with the groundstrokes, there is a lack of control. Therefore it is less suitable for this type of serve.

On the other hand, kick and slice serves worked extremely well. We were able to use the spin potential of the racquet to give the ball a lot of spin. In principle, the Pure Aero is perfect for second serves. The positive side effect was that we hardly made any double faults.

As is well known, the Pure Aero is mainly focused on the baseline game. So we were very curious to see how his playing ability would be at net on volleys. In that case, the racquet did its job in a solid way. The racquet was easier to maneuver because of ist head light balance.

Of course, you also have to sacrifice control here. But since the Babolat Pure Aero was not designed for the net game, it still delivers average volley performance.

The backhand slice is once again a stroke where the Pure Aero shows its strength. The mix of the open string pattern and FSI technology helps you to hit the ball with a lot of backspin.

The result is a backhand where the ball flies just over the strap of the net and bounces very flat on the ground. For us, this is one of the reasons for choosing the Babolat Pure Aero.

In our review one thing became very clear. This racquet is specifically designed for players who hit mostly from the baseline. So the Babolat Pure Aero is best suited for players with a modern playing style. It supports a topspin forehand and powerful shots from the baseline.

Overall, the target group for this racquet is very diverse. Because the Pure Aero is perfectly suited for the recreational player as well as for the professional tournament player. This is one of the reasons why this model from Babolat has become a real bestseller.

The Babolat Pure Aero we introduced to you is just one part of the Pure Aero series. In addition to the basic model, Babolat makes additional racquets in different variations.

The goal is to allow you to customize the racquet even more precisely to your needs. Here is our comparison between the different versions.

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 23-26-23 mm
• Stiffness: 68 RA
• Weight: 270 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 33 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 22-25 kg (recommended)

Of all the models in this series, the Pure Aero Lite is the lightest racquet. This significantly increases the maneuverability of the racquet. Compared to the normal model, the balance has also changed. With a balance point of 33 cm the racquet is now even balanced.

In general the racquet is easier to swing and produces more power. This makes the Pure Aero Lite a good option for beginners.

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam Width: 23-26-23 mm
• Stiffness: 70 RA
• Weight: 285 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 32 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 22-25 kg (recommended)

In terms of racquet weight, the Babolat Pure Aero Team is right in the middle between the Pure Aero Lite and the standard model. What is noticeable on this racquet is the modified stiffness. As a result, the Pure Aero Team’s 70 RA frame is a bit stiffer and slightly more stable.

Overall this model offers more control than the Pure Aero Lite and easier handling than the standard Pure Aero. Occasional hobby players will have a lot of fun on the tennis court with this model.

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 69,9 cm
• Beam Width: 23-26-23 mm
• Stiffness: 68 RA
• Weight: 300 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 32 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 22-25 kg (recommended)

The Pure Aero Plus has the special feature of having its racquet length extended. In contrast to the other models, it measures 69.9 cm.

On the one hand, the racquet offers much more power because of the greater leverage when hitting the ball. On the other hand, maneuverability suffers because it is now more difficult to move the racquet.

In general, model is perfect for the ambitious club player looking for a more powerful shot.

• Head size: 645 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 23-26-23 mm
• Stiffness: 68 RA
• Weight: 315 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 31,5 cm
• String pattern: 16×19
• String tension: 22-25 kg (recommended)

By far the heaviest racquet in the entire series is the Pure Aero Tour. It weighs a whopping 315g, which provides more stability on the court. The racquet also has a 31.5 cm balance point, giving it a slightly more forgiving feel than the base model. This further increases control of the shot.

The bottom line is that the Pure Aero Tour is recommended for experienced tournament players.

• Head size: 632 cm²
• Length: 68,6 cm
• Beam width: 21-23-22 mm
• Stiffness: 67 RA
• Weight: 305 g (unstrung)
• Balance point: 31,5 cm
• String pattern: 16×20
• String tension: 22-25 kg (recommended)

Also interesting for tournament players is the Pure Aero VS. Here there are many differences to the previous models. First, the racket head is smaller, which provides you with more control.

Then there is a thinner frame, which has another positive influence on control. In addition, the precision of the racket is increased by a tighter string bed with 20 cross strings.

In general, the Pure Aero series also includes rackets for juniors. Kids can choose between a 25 or 26 inch model.

Furthermore, the Pure Aero rackets are available in several colour combinations. For example, racquets are available in flag design of several nations or in the special “Roland Garros” edition. If required, the corresponding racket bag is available for this purpose.

All in all, Babolat has succeeded in updating the popular Pure Aero. The fact alone that the racquet can be seen on almost any tennis court highlights the success of this model. For players looking for spin and power, this racquet is a must have.