Smaller Racquet Brands

Although Babolat, Wilson, Head, and Yonex own the lion’s share of the racquet market, plenty of other exceptional lesser-known racquet brands are worth exploring despite not being mainstream.

Dunlop

Dunlop Sports, based in Surrey, England, is a racquet brand that focuses on multiple racquet sports, including tennis, squash, and badminton.

They first entered the racquet sports market in 1923 with the development of their first tennis ball. A few years later, they entered the racquet market with the Dunlop Maxply wooden racquet, which Rod Laver famously used throughout his career.

Later, John McEnroe, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, also used Dunlop tennis racquets, and he continues to represent the brand during occasional matches on the ATP Champions Tour.

Tecnifibre

With a focus on improving players’ potential through advanced racquet technologies, Tecnifibre has seen growing popularity as one of the youngest racquet brands on the market.

The brand released its first racquets, the T-Fight and T-Flash, in 2004 and has continued to widen its footprint with a suite of tennis products, including tennis strings, balls, and a range of accessories.

In January 2013, the company announced a partnership with the ATP and became the official racquet, string, bag, and accessories for the ATP World Tour, which ended in 2020.

Tecnifibre has also made its mark with advances in tennis strings, including its X-One Biphase, a synthetic multifilament string, and, more recently, Black Code, a monofilament polyester string. In 2006, they also developed a line of tennis racquets specifically for women.

Prince

Founded in 1970, Prince helped revolutionize the sport of tennis with the very first tennis ball machine using a reversed vacuum cleaner.

Since then, Prince became an increasingly popular brand, with arguably the height of its success hitting in 1995 when the Prince Longbody Michael Chang Signature tennis racquet became the No. 1 tennis racquet in the world.

In addition to the wildly popular success of the Longbody, players like Patrick Rafter, Jennifer Capriati, and the winningest doubles team ever, the Bryan brothers, have helped carry the Prince legacy.

Volkl

Originally a manufacturer of skis, Volkl has diversified its product offering over the years to include tennis gear, snowboards, and outerwear.

Over the years, Volkl has introduced several different advances in racquet technology, including its Organix high-tech carbon material and Bio Sensor, an active vibration-dampening system in the handle of its racquets.

Now retired, Boris Becker, a German tennis player and former world No. 1 with six Grand Slam titles, helped establish the brand as a legitimate option in the tennis racquet market.

ProKennex

Founded in 1978, ProKennex is a sporting goods manufacturer in Taiwan, focusing exclusively on racquet sports, including tennis, squash, badminton, racquetball, and pickleball.

They peaked in the 1980s, and since their popularity has dwindled, with very few professional players using or endorsing their racquets. Andreas Seppi, who reached a career-high ranking of No. 18 in 2013, is their only noteworthy sponsored athlete.

Players suffering from tennis elbow or general arm discomfort playing tennis will do well exploring their racquets as they have some of the most arm-friendly RA or stiffness ratings on the market.

Pacific

German racquet manufacturer Pacific started in 1972 and produces a range of tennis racquets, strings, and accessories.

From 2007 to 2012, the brand partnered with the ATP as the official partner for gear. During that period, they acquired Fischer’s tennis and racquet division, which now only sells ski equipment.

Pacific is a fringe brand that few players know about or recognize. However, they produce a handful of quality frames. For most players, the challenge is getting your hands on their racquets, as they don’t have the market penetration that many others on the list have.

Gamma

Founded in 1974 by Dr. Harry Ferrari, the brand started in tennis by producing strings before expanding to accessories and racquets.

These days, they’re best known for their strings, balls, and court equipment, but their oversized RZR Bubba racquets cater to beginners with larger head sizes that decrease a player’s margin for error.

Solinco

Historically, Solinco focused exclusively on tennis strings and accessories, developing a cult-like following with exceptional products like Solinco Hyper-G, TourBite, and Confidential.

However, frames were always on their radar, and after years of working with leading racquet designers, including Roman Prokes, the brand launched its Whiteout and Blackout lines of racquets in 2022.

The Whiteout is a control-oriented 98 square-inch frame, while the Blackout is a more powerful spin-friendly racquet, each catering to a wide range of experience levels and styles of play.

One of my favorite parts about the brand is its weight control module, which allows players to add five or ten-gram weighted butt cap plates to increase the frame’s weight quickly and easily.

Snauwaert

In 1928, Valler Snauwaert and Eugeen Depla began developing tennis racquets, hockey sticks, sleds, and canoes out of wood in Belgium, but eventually, their focus narrowed to racquet sports.

The brand peaked in the 1960s and 70s, later releasing one of the most quirky tennis racquets in the late 80s, the Ergonom, which featured a titled head design to stay in line with the ball for longer while stringing.

In 1994 the company folded, but in 2016 it relaunched with the help of former Prince executive Roberto Gazzara.

Angell

Founded by Paul Angell in 2004, the company rebranded as Angel Sport in 2012 with an emphasis on racquet customization and a high level of quality control, ensuring consistent racquet specs time and time again.

Paul’s unique experience developing racquets for Dunlop and Slazenger positioned him well to create a distinct offering in the market where players could configure their racquets online.

Although Angell largely flies under the radar, players looking for a more personalized option for their next racquet should check them out.

Toalson

Japanese racquet and string manufacturer Toalson established itself in 1956 and started developing strings for tennis and badminton a year later.

Today, they produce a range of tennis products, including racquets, strings, bags, and accessories like grips. At the time of writing, most retailers don’t sell their racquets, so you’ll have to order direct.