What Tennis Gear Does Carlos Alcaraz Use on Tour?

Carlos Alcaraz is the star child of tennis. His fun, fast-paced style of play has captured the attention of tennis enthusiasts around the world, and his lighthearted, competitive personality has swept the sports world by storm. Here's a full breakdown of his racquet, string, and shoe setup, along with the story of how he became the youngest man to complete the career Grand Slam.

The Youngest to Ever Do It

Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam at the 2022 US Open at just 19 years old, and the titles have not slowed down since. Wimbledon in 2023. Roland Garros and Wimbledon again in 2024. Roland Garros and the US Open in 2025. Then, at the 2026 Australian Open, he beat Novak Djokovic in the final to win his seventh major and complete the career Grand Slam at 22, the youngest man ever to do it.

What sets Alcaraz apart from most of his rivals is range. He has the movement to defend from anywhere, the power to end a point in a single shot, and a drop shot and touch game that can look like a different sport entirely from one point to the next. While Jannik Sinner has built his game around his consistent, dominating playstyle, Alcaraz thrives on unpredictability. It's what makes them the perfect rivals.

That variety is also what makes his equipment interesting. A player who needs top-end spin for a heavy topspin forehand, touch for a drop shot, and enough control to go flat and flush a passing shot needs a setup that can do all of it without asking him to change anything mid-match

The Racquet: Babolat Pure Aero 98 2026

Alcaraz's game is built around versatility and exactness. He plays the Pure Aero 98 2026. The Pure Aero line has always been built around spin, and the 98 version gives Alcaraz a slightly smaller head size than the standard Pure Aero. This trades a bit of forgiveness for the kind of precision and control a player with his shot-making needs on the smaller margins.

If you want to get as close as possible to his setup, the retail Pure Aero 98 2026 is the starting point. Pair it with his string choice below, and you're playing a version of the same frame he brings onto tour.

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Strings: Babolat RPM Team

Alcaraz strings with a full bed of Babolat RPM Team, a polyester built for the kind of heavy topspin his forehand is known for. It is part of the same RPM family long associated with spin-hungry players, and it gives Alcaraz the bite he needs to load up his heaviest shots while still maintaining enough control for his flatter, more aggressive ball-striking.

If you play with a similarly aggressive, high-spin game, a poly built for bite and repeatable spin like RPM Team is worth trying before assuming you need a stiffer control string. Spin can do a lot of the work that raw pace usually gets credit for.

Grip: Babolat Pro Tour 2.0 X12 Overgrip

Alcaraz wraps his handle in the Babolat Pro Tour 2.0 X12 Overgrip, a tour-level overgrip built for tack and durability through long, physical points. Given how much sliding, sprinting, and last-second adjusting his game demands, a grip that holds up and stays secure late in a match matters just as much for Alcaraz as it does for any other part of his setup.

Shoes: Nike Vapor 12

On his feet, Alcaraz wears the Nike Vapor 12, a shoe built for speed and quick direction changes. Given how often Alcaraz is sprinting down a drop shot or exploding into a passing shot from well outside the doubles line, a lightweight, speed-oriented shoe fits the way he actually plays a point better than a heavier, stability-first shoe would.

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Apparel

Alcaraz is a Nike athlete for apparel as well as footwear, and like most tour pros, his on-court kits rotate tournament to tournament as part of Nike's seasonal collections. It's a straightforward piece of the setup compared to the racquet and string choices, but it completes the look that's become recognizable across every surface he plays on. Catch Alcaraz's latest look at the 2026 US Open, where he will make a much-anticipated return to the big stage after being away for some time with injury.