The 2019 Babolat Pure Aero Roland Garros 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. I was truly excited to get this inspirational racquet on court and see the difference in play.

Groundstrokes
Compared to the Pure Aero Decima, the new version feels pretty similar from the baseline but less jarring on the arm. The addition of Cortex Pure Feel throughout the frame is great in minimizing shock whenever you hit the ball. Off center hits won’t feel as cumbersome on the arm enabling you to play longer. Improved Aeromodular technology allows you to whip the racquet head faster through the zone. The spin potential with this racquet is still very good and on clay the ball jumps really high so I could easily push my opponent back further behind the baseline. I didn’t feel like I needed to force my swing to get topspin or power.

Volleys
Volleys stood out to me with this version which was a pleasant surprise. Previous versions didn’t seem to be stable enough to hit crisp volleys or half-volleys. With the addition of Carbon Ply Stabilizer, I felt way more comfortable hitting volleys and coming to the net more often. The added stability allowed me to put the ball away as well as hit touch shots. Whether the ball came in fast or slow, I could simply direct the ball where it needed to go and add a little backspin.

Serves & Overheads
This racquet gives you ample power/spin to your serves and overheads without feeling super heavy. I immediately felt the added power on my flat serves which allowed me to penetrate the court and start points off in the winning position. Kick and slice serves had extra spin thanks to the updated FSI Spin technology. I didn’t feel any lack of control which was a needed improvement from the previous version.

Feel/Comfort
Feel is amazing with this racquet and much improved. I felt more connected to the ball compared to the previous models. The increased flexibility and shock absorption allows it to not feel as stiff during play. If you use nylon or multifilament strings you will get a comfortable controlled response. If you prefer an all polyester setup then you will love the control and locked in feel.

Overall
Babolat has once again done a great job improving this racquet and I believe it will be enjoyed by all levels of players. The Pure Aero Roland Garros edition has a sweet cosmetic update and looks great out on court. Whether you like Babolat racquets or not, you may fall in love with 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.