Carlos Alcaraz is the defending champion at the French Open this year. He will lock horns with Jannik Sinner in the finals on Sunday.
Alcaraz has a chance to wrap up a brilliant clay-court season by winning in Paris. He’s already captured titles in Monte-Carlo and Rome in the last few months.
The Spaniard has fueled this success with the Babolat Pure Aero 98 tennis racket since the 2022 US Open. According to The Tennis Bros, it’s a standard model, not custom-made, though Alcaraz has made a few personal tweaks.
The 22-year-old added 5 grams of lead tape low on the throat of his racket for more stability and control this year. His strung racket weighs around 333–334 grams, has a balance point of 32.2 cm, and a swing weight between 326 and 328.
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Alcaraz spoke about the changes he made to his racket before the beginning of the season:
"We had to change certain things, to try them out. Yes, more than change, we had to try things. I was playing with quite a light weight for the pro tour. We said we’d try those 5 grams and it felt pretty good."
“The most important thing for me was that I could move it just as well as the racquet I was playing with, I didn’t notice anything in my arms. Honestly, it was fantastic. It helps me because my shots are heavier, and for certain shots like the serve and the return that’s always useful," Carlos Alcaraz added.
The youngster reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and then clinched his first title this year in Rotterdam. He spoke about how the frame has helped him during the hard-court event.
"I changed the weight of the racket a bit. I played in Australia with those extra five grams, felt a bit more strength, the ball feels somewhat different, generates more power. That's what I have felt the most. It also depends a lot on which player you are facing. I feel that with this, I exert more force more easily and maintain the same control, the ball comes out with more power."
"I think after that they’ve done a really great job" - Carlos Alcaraz on the evolution of his racket since used by Carlos Moya at the French Open
Carlos Alcaraz has been using the same racket used by former World No. 1 Carlos Moya. The latter won the French Open in 1998 by defeating Alex Corretja in the final.
The Spaniard spoke about how Babolat, his racket partners, have evolved over the years during a recent interview. He credited the popular brand for consistently upgrading their frames in the last few years.
“I think the world is changing, and obviously the brands are changing. Babolat has changed a lot. We were talking yesterday — since the first racket they made, it was Carlos Moyà when he won here at the French Open. And I think after that, they’ve done a really great job to have better rackets, better strings, better everything," Carlos Alcaraz said
Alcaraz also spoke about the timing of experimenting with his rackets. He wished to improve his performance with the changes he made.
“So right now, the racket I’m using — it has changed a little bit. I mean, to feel the changes sometimes is difficult. But yeah, sometimes when the schedule allows us, I try new things for the next year, or two years from now. But yeah, I think they are doing a great job, which I’m really proud about — just to help my performance," he added.
Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the French Open semifinals last year. The Italian is yet to drop a set in this year's event.
The duo are scheduled to take on each other early evening on Saturday (June 8, 2025).
