Interested in playing tennis but not sure which strings to buy? Get the best tennis strings for your game with our guide!
We’ll help you choose the best tennis string for your racquet and game, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned tennis player. The number of tennis strings on the market is staggering. The end consumer faces a bewildering selection of materials, features, gauges, and technology as new strings pop up every year.
The good news is that you won’t need to worry about the little things if you are looking for a string this season. We have you covered. Here are the best tennis strings you should look out for in every important category.
Quick Navigation
- Luxilon Alu Power
- Babolat RPM Blast
- Solinco Hyper-G
- Head Velocity MLT
- Wilson NXT
- Babolat Touch VS
- Solinco Tour Bite
- Tourna Premium Poly
- Head Rip Control
- Babolat Duo VS Touch
- Solinco Confidential
- Tecnifibre Triax
- Best Strings By Category
- Different Types Of Strings
- String Attributes
- Buying Guide
- FAQs
Top Pick
Runner Up
Contender
Luxilon Alu Power
Babolat RPM Blast
Solinco Hyper-G
The 12 Best Tennis Strings
Luxilon Alu Power
The Luxilon Alu Power string is the pinnacle of contemporary polyester tennis strings, providing the ideal balance of spin, durability, and control. It provides the best possible control while yet maintaining feel and touch.
Players hit with precision thanks to the control available. Additionally, it’s a great tool for players that like their topspin. It provides extra spin and lets players make incredible pictures, just like all polyester strings. It is challenging to break the string because of its strength and flawless tension retention.
Babolat RPM Blast
The Babolat RPM Blast is a monofilament played by Rafael Nadal and many other professional tennis players. It offers the ideal balance of power, spin, and feel.
Its ranking as one of the “Best Tennis Strings Overall” by several big-time sellers is also backed by its excellent tension maintenance. Players willing to accelerate and drive the ball with extreme spin can benefit from it in a major way.
Solinco Hyper-G
The vibrant green Hyper-G has been a reliable performer in my string collection for many years. I’ve recently used the Soft version a lot more because it’s a little more arm-friendly, but I like both. Regular Hyper-G plays very well, in my opinion, if you don’t have any arm issues.
However, the playability and feel of a string are purely subjective, as with everything else. I feel connected to the ball since it provides adequate control, spin, and a good feel at contact.
Head Velocity MLT
A great string that provides performance players with the best value available. This control and power string produces above-average spin for comparable multifilaments of a similar size.
This string delivers above-average shock absorption and has a flexible core of 1,000 filaments. A special low-friction coating on the outside wrap increases spin while enhancing the string’s endurance.
Wilson NXT
Wilson improves their famed NXT line with this string to give you an even more pleasant experience. NXT is fantastic for players who wish to avoid the harsh vibrations typical of today’s light and stiff rackets, in addition to being ideal for those who look for a very arm-friendly playing experience.
In the end, NXT is a fantastic choice for those looking for a rich hitting experience with tons of comfort and power. Additionally, it will provide any hybrid with an instant feel and comfort.
Babolat Touch VS
Since its introduction in 1925, the Babolat Touch VS has been used by many legendary tennis players and has been a part of numerous memorable matches.
The brilliance of VS Gut comes in its elasticity, which provides a feel at contact that is unmatched. It is made from the fibrous and stretchy serous membrane of cow intestines. It continues to be unmatched in terms of comfort, arm protection, and power.
Solinco Tour Bite
Beginners will need to skip this one because of its high stiffness. The Tour Bite will, however, assure you to impose your will if you are a big hitter who wants the option to hit big from the baseline.
The low-friction surface and reinforced structure of this string provide it the toughness needed to endure the violent sliding motion imposed by aggressive mechanics and the ability to snap back at contact. If that isn’t enough to tip your scales, think about this string’s four gripping edges, which give the kind of spin-friendly accuracy that allows the ball to stop on a dime.
Tourna Premium Poly
This string’s softer composition, made with cutting-edge polymers and polyether, absorbs shock and improves comfort. The string can help maintain strength, power, and resistance to movement and control the tension.
Its rough edges can bite the ball upon impact and produce a lot of heavy spin. Additionally, the skin’s roughness might give off a sandpaper-like sensation which helps control the ball. The string comes in sizes ranging from 16G to 18G and various colors.
Head RIP Control
The Head RIP Control is a composite string of copolymer (nylon) fibers and polyolefin ribbons. As a result, the ride is arm-friendly while providing outstanding dampening and unexpected longevity. It is no surprise that RIP Control is one of the best-selling HEAD strings since it offers a unique balance of comfort and control.
Babolat Duo VS Touch
Babolat produces the ideal storm of hybrids by merging Rafael Nadal’s preferred string, RPM Blast, with the premium natural gut VS.
While VS Gut offers superior power, comfort, and feel, RPM Blast creates great control with enormous access to spin. This offers the best of both worlds for players looking for top-notch performance from their string bed.
Solinco Confidential
This co-poly, developed over several years, has passed the specific requirements of top-tier ATP and WTA athletes. This string has outstanding control and a strong spin potential because of its incredibly accurate response and contoured profile.
According to several playtesters, Confidential provides above-average comfort for a poly-based monofilament and rewards full swings with precise targeting. Overall, this is an excellent addition to Solinco’s polyester series.
Tecnifibre Triax
To improve control and minimize stiffness, the string is of a multifilament composition with an equal blend of nylon and polyester fibers. As a result, if you frequently have tennis elbow and are looking for a solution, this one might work for you.
It can stretch up to 40 feet and comes in a natural color. The string can be used with rackets ranging in size from 15L to 17. The Tecnifibre Triax is made for you if you enjoy a polyester string’s dependable, occasionally dead feel, but your arm yearns for more comfort and less vibration.
Best natural gut tennis strings
Babolat Touch VS
Wilson Natural Gut
Luxilon Natural
Best polyester tennis strings
Solinco Hyper G
Luxilon ALU Power
Babolat Rpm Blast
Best hybrid tennis strings
Wilson Champions Choice
Babolat VS Touch RPM
Wilson Duo Power
Best synthetic gut Tennis Strings
Gamma Synthetic Gut
Prince Synthetic Gut
Head Synthetic Gut PPS
best multifilament tennis strings
Head Velocity MLT
Wilson NXT Comfort
Tecnifibre NRG2 17g
best tennis strings for power
Babolat VS Natural Gut
Wilson NXT Power
Tecnifibre X-One Biphase
Best Tennis Strings For control
Luxilon Alu Power
Solinco Hyper-G
Tecnifibre Triax
best tennis strings for spin
Babolat RPM Blast Rough
Luxilon Alu Power Rough
Solinco Hyper-G
Best Tennis Strings For comfort
Wilson NXT Soft
Head Velocity MLT
Babolat VS Natural Gut
best tennis strings for durability
Head Hawk Touch
Luxilon 4g
Gamma Synthetic Gut
best tennis strings for Tennis Elbow
Wilson NXT Comfort 17
Head Velocity MLT
Tecnifibre NRG2
best tennis string for beginners
Solinco Hyper-G
Wilson Synthetic Gut Power
Prince Synthetic Gut with Duraflex
best tennis string for intermediate players
Luxilion ALU Power
Wilson NXT
Head Synthetic Gut PPS
best tennis string for advanced players
Babolat RPM Blast
Solinco Hyper-G
Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough
Different Types Of Strings
Natural Gut
This kind of string is made from a cow’s gut, offering the best stability, control, and spin of any string you can get. Although it is one of the most expensive, it is less durable than other synthetic strings.
Natural gut is usually only played by very advanced or professional tennis players due to its high cost. The majority of club and recreational players use nylon or polyester string.
Nylon (synthetic gut)
The construction of synthetic gut strings, also known as nylon strings, has advanced significantly due to the use of various materials to improve playability. The performance of synthetic gut is very solid, giving your shots a crisp feel. Additionally, they are very playable and comfortable.
Synthetic gut strings are available to players at a very reasonable price, but they aren’t quite as good as natural gut strings. These strings are typically more durable than natural gut strings, which is helpful for players because players won’t have to buy new strings a lot.
Polyester (AKA Poly)
These strings often referred to as polys, are among the most popular choices among pros. That’s why you probably find more options in this category than in any other. These strings offer excellent durability and feature a stiffness that allows players to generate more topspin and swing faster without losing control. Moreover, if you strike hard enough, the strings will deform only to snap back into place, further enhancing spin.
Unfortunately, one significant drawback to these strings’ stiffness is comfort. These polyester strings will force you to sacrifice comfort, which increases your risk of getting tennis elbow and causing you discomfort while you play. The need for frequent restringing is another disadvantage.
Kevlar
Unless you try to summon some of the magic and reminisce about Andre Agassi in his early days, Kevlar strings are pretty much out of the picture now, so I encourage you to look for other options instead! Kevlar is an incredibly tough string that offers great durability, but unless you want to risk getting hurt, we don’t feel confident recommending them. Simply put, there are now many more superior string options available.
String Composition
Monofilament
Monofilament co-polyester strings have taken over the market at the moment. They provide impressive durability for players who frequently break strings with powerful swings. However, not everyone will enjoy them. Unless you can produce consistent racket head speed, getting the strings to move is challenging because of its firm material.
Polyester is largely useless to you if you cannot move the strings. Additionally, players can string with tensions as low as 40 lbs because of their innate stiffness while still maintaining control. Co-polyester strings lose tension more quickly than any other type of string, so even though they won’t break right away, that doesn’t mean they don’t need to be restrung.
Multifilament
In an effort to mimic the playability of natural gut, multifilaments were created. These gut like strings are created by twisting numerous microfibers together and covering them with a durable covering. Although nylon is the predominant material used in their production, some string manufacturers also use polyurethane, Zyex, Vectran, or Kevlar.
Multifilament strings hold tension better, are more elastic, and are more powerful than single-filament synthetic gut. Senior players typically benefit from them because they are softer and less taxing on the arm. Multifilaments have the drawback of being more expensive and less robust. The string will fray and deteriorate as soon as the outer wrapping deteriorates.
Composite
Composite tennis strings are made by combining different material types or grades to create a string that shares the advantages of each material. Even though composites are more a method of combining materials to produce specific playing characteristics than a construction, we’ve included them in this section for convenience. Wilson NXT Control is an example of a composite multifilament that combines nylon and polyester.
Textured
RPM Blast Rough is an example of how businesses like Babolat have more recently experimented with the shape and texture of monofilament strings. Textured strings can also be made by incorporating a larger wrap inside the outer layer or by adding an outer wrap, which results in a raised band and gives the strings texture. Manufacturers occasionally reverse this strategy by incorporating grooves into strings, which results in a comparable outcome.
String Attributes
Gauge
You might be perplexed about what gauge or thickness makes the most sense once you locate a set of tennis strings you want to try. Durability and spin potential are the two main aspects to consider when choosing a string gauge. Typically, a string’s spin potential increases with its thickness while its durability decreases with thickness and vice versa.
There are two common gauges of strings: 17 gauge, which is thinner, and 16 gauge, which is thicker. We advise players to start with one string based on whether they want more durability or spin and then tweak from there to find the best match for a string with your racquet and game. This is in the interest of keeping things simple.
Tension
Before purchasing a set of strings, tension is frequently the first question players have, whereas string gauge is one of their final concerns. Different strings may call for slightly different considerations, but you have to choose between adding control with higher tension and giving up more power.
The good news is that racket manufacturers offer players a suggested tension range printed on most frames. Usually, the middle of their suggested range is a good place to start. For instance, if your racquet’s tension range is between 50 and 60 lbs, 55 is a good place to start. You’ll be able to determine whether to increase or decrease the tension after playing with your racket strung at that tension.
Durability
The strength and longevity of a tennis string are referred to as its durability. Durable tennis strings will last you longer. The most resilient tennis string material is usually polyester.
The disadvantage is that you tend to lose connection/feel/touch with these string types because the strings tend to send more shock through your arm and racket. Furthermore, the string’s tension might decline after some time of playing. Therefore, you need to take care of the necessary maintenance and periodically check the string tension.
Elasticity
The flexibility and responsiveness of your strings are referred to as elasticity. Generally speaking, a flexible string will give you more power. Elasticity will also cause your string to spring back into place after you strike the ball, giving you a satisfying feel for your shots. Nylon strings, which are the most elastic, may be the best option if that’s how you want to play.
Skill Level
Beginner
If you’re a beginner, you should focus on choosing simple-to-play strings that are forgiving, comfortable, and on the softer side. For beginners, we recommend a polyester string as the most durable and cost-effective variety of string on the market.
Intermediate & advanced
You can switch to more solid strings that give you more control and finesse as you get better. At this point, polyester strings, also known as “poly,” are where you want to be. Advanced and intermediate players with good technique can give up some comfort to increase spin and control.
Surface
Clay courts’ slow pace typically calls for a drop in tension, whereas players playing on faster surfaces like hard courts and grass benefit from higher string tensions and, therefore, more control.
Environmental factors also come into play, particularly if you use natural gut, which is popular on the pro circuit. Organic strings are much more sensitive to humidity than synthetic ones, and as a result, tension can decrease as well.
Injuries
Tennis elbow is a term many of us are familiar with. It’s an elbow-related pain brought on by arthritis. You should be cautious when using a tense racket with high string tension because studies have shown that they exacerbate the effects of tennis elbow in the player.
Choose your racquet carefully, and change your strings frequently. A string isn’t broken, just when it is broken. Once the elasticity is gone, players attempt to make up for it by using their muscles, which causes inflammation around the elbow.
Brand
The most well-known brands with solid reputations are Wilson, Babolat, and Luxilon. It’s interesting to note that many different brands specializing in strings are produced in the same factory.
According to experts, avoid low-cost brands because they usually produce a subpar string, which has poor playability and tension maintenance and causes the string to break more quickly. Three brands, MSV, RAB, and Kirschbaum, make excellent strings, cost less than the top brands, and perform just as well.
PRICE
With so many different kinds of strings available, this might be the quickest method to decide which strings are best for you. When it comes to the string price point, keep these two things in mind: What’s your budget? The price of a string set can range from $5 to $50.
Even though every price point offers the option for any kind of string benefit, keep in mind that higher prices also tend to come with better performance. Generally speaking, we advise beginners to spend between $5 and $10 per set, intermediate players between $10 and $20 per set, and advanced players between $20 and $50 per set.
Sets or reels
What’s the better investment? Sets or reels? One tennis racket can be strung with a set of tennis strings, whereas 18 rackets can be strung with a reel of tennis string. Players certainly can save money by purchasing reels.
Depending on how frequently you play or break strings, you might or might not benefit from purchasing a reel. Our recommendation is to stick with sets if you only play once a month. We recommend a reel if you play competitively and break strings every week or two.
Buying Guide
Power
As previously mentioned, a player should try a lower tension by a few pounds if he wants his racket to have more power. Greater energy will be returned to the ball as the stringbed deflect more (and the ball less). The stringbed eventually turns into a butterfly net at a point of diminishing returns that is well below any racket’s recommended tension range.
Spin
Rafael Nadal’s passing shots are known for their acute angles and sudden inside-line drops on their high-arcing shots, allowing them to fly past their opponents. If you have seen these shots, you have seen the power of spin in action. However, spin isn’t exclusive to the world’s top players.
It is essential for managing shot trajectory and establishing a safe margin of error when attempting to clear the net. Swinging for power will also enable you to bring the ball down more effectively. The polyester family produces the best spin strings, just like they do for the more control department.
Control
Less energy is produced by a tighter stringbed than a looser one because it deflects the ball less and deforms it more. As a result, when you hit the ball, it won’t travel as far. Increased tension won’t help beginners shanking the ball in all directions.
However, intermediate and advanced players who consistently hit long balls can reduce the depth of their shots without making changes to their swing. Also, the spin potential is increased with higher string tension, giving topspin and slice players even more control.
Touch
Volleys, drop shots, and slices are the shots that fit this rating the best. Also, generally, a thinner string, according to many players, offers a better feel, more touch. These types of strings will typically be on the softer side, grabbing the ball and making the player feel more connected.
Comfort
When using different strings, a player will experience varying levels of shock and vibration, which will be interpreted as high or low comfort. Some tennis strings have a more comfortable feel because they are more efficient at absorbing and reducing shock and vibration than others.
Naturally, a player’s racket and technique also greatly impact comfort, but strings can improve or worsen it. The use of comfort strings is also recommended for senior tennis players who are more susceptible to arm injuries like tennis elbow or those who have previously had arm problems.
Playability
A playable string typically snaps back quickly when the ball hits it. A string’s playability will depend on its composition, design, and thickness. The most playable string is still natural gut (a natural product made from cow intestines).
The latest Multifilament strings make for more than adequate replacements. They are a better option for most players because they are the more durable string and usually last you longer than Natural Gut.
Durability
Unfortunately, tennis string durability is typically sacrificed for playability. Compared to their thinner, nylon-based counterparts, thicker string gauges, and abrasion-resistant materials will last longer but are less elastic and resilient.
We advise players to switch to a 15 gauge version of the same string if one is available if they break a 16 gauge synthetic gut. If that doesn’t work, you should try a polyester string, like one of the popular Luxilon or Babolat strings.
Movement
This rating is determined by how much the strings move around at contact. While hitting, some strings move quite a bit and need to be adjusted after each point, while others remain in place. It mainly comes down to personal preference, but it impacts how frequently strings snap and how quickly they lose tension.
FAQs
What is A Hybrid String?
Two distinct strings are combined into the stringbed to create a hybrid; one is used in the main and the other in the cross. By choosing different hybrid combinations, players can adjust a variety of playing characteristics such as comfort, durability, liveliness, control, and power.
Polyester in the mains and multifilament in the cross make up the most typical hybrid used by pros. While softer strings like multifilament or synthetic will soften the string bed and decrease the stiffness in a full polyester bed, polyester string placed in the main will provide good spin and control.
A soft and forgiving setup is created by swapping the hybrid combination, using soft strings in the mains and polyester in the cross. This setup will appeal to players who don’t frequently break strings and prefer a softer feel.
Another benefit of hybrid string setup is that it reduces the price of an expensive string by barely affecting playability. For instance, using synthetic or poly strings will significantly reduce costs if a player prefers natural gut tennis strings or multifilament tennis strings.
What do I need to know about restringing my tennis racket?
Just as important as choosing the right string is knowing how often to restring. An essential component of tennis racket maintenance is string replacement. The performance and playability of tennis racquets are hugely affected by the type of string. Over time, strings wear out and lose tension, which reduces their ability to produce power and control.
You can keep your racquet operating at its peak performance by replacing your strings regularly. Knowing how often to replace your tennis strings is beneficial as you shop for a new set. Many recreational players typically wait until their strings break. The lifespan (also known as playability duration) is generally much shorter than it takes to break a set of strings.
You can safely adopt the following maxim, considering how much money you intend to spend on tennis: racket strings should be changed as many times a year as you play tennis each week. Unless, of course, they break before that.
How do I know if my tennis strings are dead?
There are a few cues that your racket needs to be restrung:
- Your strings unravel quickly.
- After points, your strings move considerably more than usual.
- You hear a “thud†when the ball hits the stringbed.
- You notice that you have less control over the ball than usual.
You should restring your racket if you see any of these signs. You’ll have more fun and play your best if you do this.
How much does the restringing service cost?
The cost of a string job typically ranges from $20 to $30, but this depends on where you get your racket strung and the experience level of the stringer. For instance, some pro shops may charge less, while others may charge more if they have to travel to your location. The cost will typically increase with the complexity of the restringing process.
where can i get my tennis racket restrung?
You should be ready to go at this point, but there’s one last step: finding someone to string your tennis racket. There are various places to find a stringer, but for many, your local tennis shop or club will be the most obvious.
You might also check with your local sporting goods store to see if they offer string services as some do. However, make sure that the stringer is well-qualified for the job. You can also check the RacquetTech’s directory of certified tennis stringers, which may include a local tennis pro, instructor, or passionate player who offers the service.
Which strings do the pros use?
| Player | String (Mains) | Tension | Strings (Crosses) | Tension |
| Garbine Muguruza | Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power | 60 lbs | Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power | 60 lbs |
| Aryna Sabalenka | Luxilon Alu Power 125 | ??? | Luxilon Ace 112 | ??? |
| Naomi Osaka | Yonex Poly Tour Strike | ??? | Babolat VS Touch | ??? |
| Serena Williams | Luxilon Natural Gut 125 | ??? | Luxilon 4G 125 | ??? |
| Emma Raducanu | Luxilon Alu Power Rough | ??? | Luxilon Element | ??? |
| Nick Kyrgios | Yonex Poly Tour Pro 125 | 51 lbs | Yonex Poly Tour Pro 125 | 51 lbs |
| Carlos Alcaraz | Babolat RPM Blast | 55 lbs | Pure Aero VS | 53 lbs |
| Novak Djokovic | Babolat VS Team Natural Gut | 59 lbs | Luxilon Alu Power Rough | 56 lbs |
| Roger Federer | Wilson Natural Gut | 48.5 lbs | Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough | 45 lbs |
| Daniil Medvedev | Tecnifibre Ice Code 125 | 49 lbs | Tecnifibre Ice Code 125 | 49 lbs |
| Stefanos Tsitsipas | Luxilon 4G | 55 lbs | Luxilon 4G | 53 lbs |
How often do the pros change their set up?
Tour players typically restring their rackets once a day or twice a week. This ensures that their racket is in excellent condition and always has impeccable strings. You probably won’t need to restring your racket as frequently if you’re not a professional.
Restringing will help your racket last longer and ensure you’re always using the best possible strings. Generally speaking, you should restring as often as you play each week each year. If you play twice a week, your racket should be restrung twice a year. Even if you play infrequently, all strings eventually stretch, lose their tension, or simply go dead.
Extra Resource
Check out this scientific paper on “The Effects Of String Stiffness On Muscle Fatigue”
Related Post
Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.