Babolat Pure Aero 98 tested

We still owed you this one! Stephan tested the Babolat Pure Aero 98 with great pleasure and was impressed by the good mix of spin, power and control. Read the very extensive review here.

Tester:

Name : Stephan Couzijn
Level : 5/6
Player type : All-court player, eastern grip, one-handed backhand, fairly flat shots
Own racket : Yonex EZONE DR 98, Wilson Clash 100, Head Graphene 360+ Extreme Tour
Racket history : Wilson Pro Staff 6.0 95, Wilson Six-One 95, Babolat Pure Aero VS, Head Extreme Tour, Yonex VCORE 98

The Babolat Pure Aero 98 is now available in our webshop , strung free of charge with a string of your choice.

Tested racket – Specifications:

Brand : Babolat
Model : Pure Aero 98
Blade size : 98 sq/inch
Weight : 305 gr
Balance : 31.5 cm
Stringing pattern : 16×20
Length : 27 inches
RA : 65
Beam : 21mm / 23mm / 22mm
Swingweight : 327
Stringing : Babolat RPM Rough 1.25 on 23/22 kg

Intro:

At the start of 2023, 3 players in the ATP TOP 10 will be playing with the Babolat Pure Aero 98. That must be a dream for any tennis brand. It is also striking that these are all players who are still under 23 years old. We can safely say that the “Next-Gen” is achieving excellent results with the Babolat Pure Aero 98. The three players in question are none other than Holger Rune, Felix Auger-Aliassime (until recently played with an Aero Storm in Pure Aero format) and of course world number two Carlos Alcaraz.

What makes it even more interesting is that both Alcaraz and Rune play the Babolat Pure Aero 98 almost in stock form. So Babolat offers mere mortals like you and me a unique opportunity to play with a racket that is almost identical to the Next-Gen world top players. That fact alone is reason enough for me to try out the Babolat Pure Aero 98.

The Pure Aero 98 replaces the outgoing VS model. It’s more of a name change than a spec change, but there are a few notable updates nonetheless. For starters, the string spacing in the upper portion of the racquet has been tightened slightly for more control. Another notable change is the removal of the SMAC vibration dampening technology, replaced with NF2 Tech at 3 and 9 o’clock. It performs a similar function, but is made from glass fibers – often used in skis – which is a more natural product designed to provide better feel at contact. Unlike the standard Pure Aero, this technology isn’t used in the handle. Furthermore, the stiffness of the Babolat Pure Aero 98 has been reduced compared to the VS model, improving comfort.

Racket review:

The success of the Babolat Pure Aero line goes beyond just a good marketing strategy. The Pure Aero line has evolved over the years and grown with the demands that the modern game of young players like Alcaraz and Rune ask of a racket.

I tested the Pure Aero 98 with Babolat RPM Rough 17, strung at 23/22 kg. A spin racket with one of the most spin-friendly strings. Let's see what that brings!

Baseline:

Every time I play with a blade from the Aero family, I’m reminded of how bizarre the racquet initially feels as it flies through the air. I had that feeling a few months ago when I tested the standard 300g Pure Aero , and I have the same feeling now with the 98. The shape of these blades is so different from all other racquets that I have to adjust my naturally more flat technique to get the most out of the racquet. The blade is aerodynamically shaped so that the racquet feels incredibly fast when swung parallel to the ground, but sluggish when perpendicular. Think of it as an airplane wing. It’s called Aero for a reason. The Pure Aero 98 practically begs you to hit it with topspin.

You see Alcaraz, Rune and Felix hitting forehands that are different from a classic spin player like Nadal. The shots may look similar, but their shots are less round and therefore provide more penetration, because they brush the ball less than Nadal. Don't get me wrong, Nadal's shots not only have spin, but he is one of the few players who can get a lot of length in his shots despite his round shots (but that is reserved for the master). The new generation of players still swing with their blade parallel to the ground, but then hit more through the ball, and that is where the Aero 98 excels from the baseline.

Spin:

The racquet combines the swing and spin characteristics of an Aero 100 with the directional control and precision of racquets with a smaller head. The Babolat Pure Aero 98 will still perform brilliantly like the 100 when you get into a spin fest from the baseline, but feels much more stable and precise when you want to step on the gas pedal and make powerful changes in direction.

That extra control comes largely from the racket's smaller head, heavier weight, and "tighter" string pattern. Keep in mind that those features also contribute to the Aero 98 being slightly less forgiving than the standard Aero - but that's to be expected if you're looking for more control.

That said, the Aero 98 is not a traditional "control" racket. The fairly thick frame and moderate flex make it feel more powerful than most other 98 head size rackets. You do need to hit with a lot of spin to keep the ball in line because the frame accelerates so easily.

String pattern and sweet spot:

The string pattern may be a 16x20, but it feels more like a 16x19. The tight string pattern and FSI SPIN technology still provide ample movement and snapback, so it's easy to generate plenty of spin. I would go as far as to say that the Babolat Pure Aero 98 is the most spin friendly 98 blade on the market right now (although the Head Extreme Tour comes close) and is only surpassed in this category by its bigger brother the Pure Aero 100 or other spin monsters in the 100 category. Compared to those blades, the Babolat Pure Aero 98 feels much more stable from the baseline to the ball.

Greatly improved playing feel:

It’s becoming a bit of a fad in the tennis industry to keep the specs of a racquet the same and just upgrade the feel (we’ve seen this recently on the Head Extreme Tour with the addition of Auxetic). I don’t necessarily see that as a bad thing, as long as the outgoing racquet performed well, which is the case here.

The introduction of that NF2-TECH has changed the feeling when balls land on the strings. The feeling was already good with the VS version, but nothing to write home about and felt quite stiff at times. The Babolat Aero 98 feels much softer which makes me feel much more connected to the ball and dare to hit through.

The Babolat Pure Aero 98 has become more forgiving outside the sweet spot compared to the VS version. In my opinion the new technique works, the racket is more stable and forgiving without losing precision. The RPM Rough as a string complements the rest nicely.

Just:

At the net, the Babolat Pure Aero 98 performs just as well as its predecessor. The smaller blade and aerodynamic shape make the racket quick to move at the net and I can lay down solid volleys. At the same time, I find the Aero shape too wide above the handle to grip well for a backhand volley. I experience the same problem with my one-handed backhand. But that is something personal. Otherwise a very solid frame at the net.

Service:

Serving with the Babolat Pure Aero 98 is fine and with more than enough power and precision. Also no big change compared to its predecessor. I do notice with the returns that there are cases where contact above the sweet spot feels a bit dead. This is most noticeable when returning powerful serves where you have to reach for the ball. There is little vibration or discomfort, but with balls outside the sweet spot many balls come less deep than expected. This is not entirely unexpected with a blade that is placed in the tour player category, but it may be something where you as a regular player need more swingweight. For example, I would put a little lead on my returns on 2 and 10. For that little bit of extra punch to be able to hit through hard serves.

Conclusion:

It's such a unique racquet that it's hard to categorize properly, but if I had to sum it up in one sentence I'd actually use the old "US" nomenclature, which implied that the racquet was more of a "pro" version than the non-US versions. So the Babolat Pure Aero 98 is a more "pro" version of the standard Aero: harder to get around, but more precise and varied in its performance.

If you are a baseline grinder with a high level of consistency but want to try to mix up your spin game with more flat shots to force more points, then the Babolat Aero 98 is worth a demo. On the other hand, if you play a more classic flat game but want to modernize your style and hit with more spin, the Aero 98 will also help you without sacrificing too much control and feel. I would only stay away from this blade if you have a flat game and plan to keep it that way. You need to play with spin (at least between an eastern and semi-western grip) to get the most out of the Babolat Aero 98. As an update, I definitely think the Babolat Pure Aero 98 is an improved version of its predecessor, especially in terms of feel and arm friendliness.