The 2019 Babolat Pure Aero Lite French Open tennis racquet gets a Roland Garros inspired paint job for the summer clay court season. The driving force for the Aero series is the Aeromodular beam construction, updated Cortex technology, and the addition of SMACWRAP to give it even more feel/comfort. Additionally, Babolat introduces CARBON PLY STABILIZER to improve stability and precision. Although it is a lighter version of the Pure Aero, it still packs a mean punch on court.

Groundstrokes
Behind the baseline I felt this updated version suits a lot more players in today’s game. Forehands and backhands never felt strenuous or gave my arm any problems. Whether I was hitting offensive or defensive groundstrokes, I could easily generate the spin and power I wanted without the feedback going straight to my arm. Stability in the frame is much improved and really makes a great impact. When my opponent hit a hard flat ball to take an offensive position, I didn’t have to back down my swing and could easily continue the fast ball pace without the frame wobbling. The heavier swingweight with this model allowed me to penetrate the court a little more and not worry about the ball going long. Directional accuracy is much improved granting pinpoint shot-making abilities and an offensive advantage.

Volleys
Volleys were another great surprise with this updated Pure Aero Lite RG frame. Thanks to the lighter weight it's super mobile, and the added stability made it easier to block hard hit balls back. The control level seemed to be better with this version allowing me to comfortably hit half volleys, drop volleys as well as defensive volleys. The power and control worked well together enabling me to be precise with my volleys and put the ball away.

Serves
One area that this racquet still struggled with was the serve. The weight allowed me to easily generate power and spin, but even with added control I struggled to consistently find the service box. I could get the high spin levels I wanted on my kick and slice serves which were great for throwing my opponents into awkward return positions. Flat serves were tougher for me to place in the box due to the power. I felt on my flat serves I needed to add some spin just to keep it from going long.

Feel/Comfort
The feel with this new frame is way better than any of the previous models. Babolat has done an incredible job making this frame more flexible and shock absorbent. Although the flex rating says 67, you will not know it because of the Cortex technology throughout the frame. As I played more with this racquet I felt a better connection to the ball.

Overall
The 2019 Babolat Pure Aero Lite Roland Garros racquet is a great addition to the Pure Aero family and the aesthetics look awesome in person. The added comfort, control and stability will allow for players of all levels to fall in love with this racquet. Whether you are a traditional Babolat user, or trying to switch to a new frame, you should check out this new version.

About the Reviewer: Chris Virk-Brown currently works at Tennis Express on the Content Marketing team. He previously played at Neumann University and coached at the collegiate level for 3 years. He is an active USTA League and Tournament player at the 4.5 NTRP level.