It’s Okay to Buy A Racquet Because You Think It’s Pretty

An undercover review of the 10th generation Wilson Blade.

Drew

— 4 min read
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It’s Okay to Buy A Racquet Because You Think It’s Pretty

An undercover review of the 10th generation Wilson Blade

“The Blade V10 [1] broadens Wilson’s signature modern control line, adding new frames while modernizing old favorites.” This is how many reviews of the new line of Blades will begin. But what does any of that mean? And do you care about what it means? What is a “modern control line”? You might not care about any of this. You might be looking into the racquet because of who is using it on tour[2]: Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva, and Sebastian Korda.

Let me tell you something: That’s cool. Contrary to what you’ll hear online, it is fine to use the racquet used by your favorite player. Yes, they may customize it differently than you will.[3] Still, choosing a racquet that you have an emotional connection to is fantastic if it will get you out on the court and hitting balls. On top of this, most racquet families have a plethora of options, in which almost any beginner to intermediate player can find their match. In the new Blade line alone there is a Blade 100, a Blade 100 Pro, multiple Blade 98 models, multiple Blade 98 Pro models, and more. You still have plenty of options if you’re a Sabalenka stan and her 98 18x20 just doesn’t quite tick all the right boxes for you.[4]

Beyond looks and the magical player-frame emotional association, how does it play? Wilson made a number of updates to the frame to make it more appealing to a wider range of players, while keeping the Blade true to its identity. None of these Blades are going to get you that “burn a hole through the net” Pure Drive[5] power, but they did change a few things about the hoop that will give the new Blade 98s a bit more oomph than their predecessor. They’ve also made these racquets a bit more connected, a term reviewers and racquet manufacturers use to describe how much you can feel the ball when you make contact with it. This is a different but not entirely exclusive feeling to the handle vibration that most racquet manufacturers are attempting to filter out in recent releases.

Much of this, though, is beside the point for many racquet buyers. Many, many consumers will order a racquet recommended to them by a niece, nephew, cousin, or friend who played/plays high school or college tennis. Or they might buy a frame they just think looks compelling![6] Some portion of players will walk into their local pro shop[7] and buy what’s recommended to them off the wall by their knowledgeable pro shop staff. An even smaller portion will demo a few different racquets before making a decision.[8] That’s okay. It’s maybe even good, because spiraling endlessly about which racquet you’re going to use could keep you from getting better and just generally stress you out.[9]

So all in all, is the 2026 Wilson Blade a good racquet and should you buy it? Well, if you want to swing something similar to Aryna Sabalenka, yes. If you want a control frame that feels good and has a subtle boost in power over similar frames, then also yes. If you want a shiny green racquet, definitely yes.[10] (But make sure to check if the model you are buying comes in a glossy paint! Some of the versions with a larger head size use a matte paint.) If you’re someone who knows what a PT57 is and regularly dreams about Wilson selling a Pro Staff with Grigor Dimitrov’s custom 18x18 pattern, then this might not be for you. Of course, if you’re that kind of person, you’ve probably already pre-ordered a new Blade and will just as soon sell it when you realize it doesn’t have “quite the pop you thought it would” or lacks proper “spin modulation”.[11]

It’s green, it’s glossy, it’s the V10 Blade. To be honest, I love it. If you’re just getting started and a pro you love uses it, you might too. While putting this review together, I fell in love with the new Blade 100 Pro. It is just great and revisits the fantastic Steam 100 mold from Wilson’s graveyard of great molds. It is a stiff, slightly extended frame, with a 16x20 pattern and a super light static weight (295g in a “Pro” frame!!! The customization possibilities are endless!). It’s perfect for me.

If you’re attracted to the Blade, there really might be a perfect one out there for you. I encourage you to demo a few of them if possible or go to a local club and ask a racquet tech which might be the best fit for you. But if you’re in more of an Add to Cart mood, I think you’ll be okay.

  1. Somewhat startlingly stylized by Wilson as “VX.” ↩︎

  2. And who appears on the racquet face card! ↩︎

  3. Or, in many cases, use an entirely different frame! ↩︎

  4. Let me tell you, every single forehand I hit with this thing sailed right to the fence. It felt like the balls I was hitting were turning at about 1 RPM. For the right player, though, it will be magic. ↩︎

  5. (Not so) affectionately called the “Pure Dad” by TennCom’s Beckett Chung and many on Tennis Warehouse’s online forum. ↩︎

  6. Hello, 2025 Head Gravity paint job. ↩︎

  7. Or a Dick’s Sporting Goods. God, help us. ↩︎

  8. Or watch Karue Sell beat up on a rec player with a Wal-Mart racquet and decide that a similar stick should be plenty capable. ↩︎

  9. I’m not judging. I’ve bought over 25 racquets in the last two years to the chagrin of my family, my coach, and the local pro shop staff (but not the ones who do the books). Kill me! ↩︎

  10. Between this and the Ultra, is Wilson trying to recreate every Sonic Chaos Emerald in racquet form? ↩︎

  11. All of these are real and valid things to care about. ↩︎

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