The 7 Best Tennis Strings in 2023 (Buyer’s Guide)
Finding the right tennis strings for you is just as hard as finding the right tennis racket.
There are many different types of strings such as polyester, natural gut, multifilament and more! But one thing you need to know is that they each have their own advantages and disadvantages.
That is why I have made this guide which reviews the 7 best tennis strings in 2023. Each string has been analyzed in detail discussing all of the pros and cons and who the string is best suited for.
Whether you’re an advanced player or a beginner, this is the guide for you.
Quick Summary
Rank | 7 Best Tennis Strings | Type |
#1 | Polyester | |
#2 | Natural Gut | |
#3 | Natural Gut & Polyester | |
#4 | Synthetic Gut | |
#5 | Polyester | |
#6 | Multifilament | |
#7 | Polyester |
Reviews of the 7 Best Tennis Strings
1. Luxilon ALU Power
Price: $$ (40ft) | Type: Polyester | Gauge: 16L | Shape: Round
Pros
- Great control
- Good spin
- Durability
- Tension maintenance
Cons
- Not very powerful
- Comfort
The Luxilon ALU Power is my pick for the best string on the market and it doesn’t surprise me that this is one of the most popular strings on the pro tour with the likes of Roger Federer, Sebastian Korda and Tommy Paul all using it.
Polyester tennis strings are known for their spin and control and let me tell you, the Luxilon ALU Power doesn’t disappoint in either of those categories. The ALU Power offers exceptional spin meaning you can attack your shots more aggressively without sacrificing control. It also gives you a great touch and feel further giving you more control over the placement of the ball on the court.
When looking at durability, the Luxilon ALU Power doesn’t disappoint in this category either. It is a durable string that is relatively hard to break. It is also excellent at maintaining tension which is vital for any tennis player. Even after multiple training sessions, I found that the tension still felt the same.
The only downsides I found when testing out this string were power and comfort due to it being a stiff polyester. This string is made purely for control and durability but if you’re looking for something that adds a bit more power I’d recommend hybridizing the Luxilon ALU Power with a natural or synthetic gut. This will give you the perfect combination of control and power.
The Luxilon ALU Power string is designed for players who hit the ball hard and are looking for something that can control that natural power.
2. Babolat VS Touch
Price: $$$$ (40ft) | Type: Natural Gut | Gauge: 16 | Shape: Round
Pros
- Very powerful
- Very comfortable
- Great tension maintenance
- Good feel
Cons
- Control
- Not very durable
- Expensive
When it comes to natural guts, nothing quite compares to the Babolat VS Touch.
First released in 1925, the Babolat VS Touch has been used by many pros over the years with current players Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem both using it to this day. The VS Touch offers power and comfort like no other and provides a crisp feel off the racket.
Something you may find interesting about natural gut strings is that they don’t lose their tension over long periods of use so you can keep that incredible touch and feel right up until the string breaks. With polyester strings, you’ll find they lose their tension over time which can affect your play.
The downside I found when testing out the Babolat VS Touch was that it didn’t provide much topspin or control. This is why many people may choose a polyester string instead. However, something unique about the VS Touch is that the performance didn’t break down at higher tensions. Many players will increase their tension when using these strings so they can have control of the ball while maintaining that beautiful feel and touch.
3. Wilson Champion’s Choice Duo
Price: $$$$ (40ft) | Type: Natural Gut & Polyester | Shape: Round & Textured
Pros
- Power
- Control
- Excellent all-around performance
Cons
- Not very durable
- Very expensive
Used by the great Roger Federer, the Wilson Champion’s Choice Duo offers the perfect balance of power and control.
This hybrid set combines two exceptional strings: the Luxilon ALU Power Rough and the Wilson Natural Gut. The Luxilon ALU Power Rough gives this hybrid setup outstanding durability and control whilst the Wilson Natural Gut offers effortless power and control.
By pairing this polyester and natural gut string together, you are getting the best of both worlds and creating a great combo. I’d recommend using the Wilson Natural Gut in the mains as the main strings will characterize the racket’s feel.
However, I still found this combination to be too powerful, but it is all down to preference and what tennis racket you use. Some tennis rackets will naturally provide more power than others.
4. Prince Synthetic Gut
Price: $ (40ft) | Type: Synthetic Gut | Gauge: 16 | Shape: Textured
Pros
- Good price
- Comfort
- Good power
Cons
- Durability
- Control
The Prince Synthetic Gut is a great value-for-money string that is perfect for recreational players wanting to try a softer and more lively setup.
Whilst the Prince Synthetic Gut doesn’t come packed with the features of some of the higher-end strings, you’ll get a great all-around performance.
I found it offered plenty of comfort and power which is great for recreational players who aren’t looking to hit the ball with lots of aggression. Comfort is also an important factor for recreational players as it means there is less stress on the arm and reduces the chances of getting tennis elbow.
Players will find that the Prince Synthetic Gut offers good all-around playability. However, it does lack in durability and control which you could combat by increasing the tension or pairing this with a polyester string.
Synthetic gut strings are a great choice for players just starting out in the sport and want something comfortable to use. However, I wouldn’t recommend them for professional tennis players.
5. Yonex PolyTour Pro
Price: $$ (40ft) | Type: Polyester | Gauge: 16L | Shape: Round
Pros
- Good control
- Good spin-potential
- Durable
- Tension maintenance
Cons
- Power
- Comfort
The Yonex PolyTour Pro is an excellent polyester string that offers great control and spin.
This is the perfect string for more advanced players who want to hit the ball more aggressively and are looking for a string that can help them control that power.
Whilst the Yonex PolyTour Pro may not give as much spin as some other textured polyester strings, it still provides a great bite to the ball and generates a good amount of spin allowing you to hit heavier groundstrokes. As the PolyTour Pro isn’t a textured string, it gives off a good amount of power compared to other polyesters. However, if you’re looking for power I wouldn’t recommend the PolyTour Pro and would go for a softer multifilament string.
I also found that the Yonex PolyTour Pro did a great job at keeping its tension over long periods of use which is a feature I love about this polyester string.
It is no surprise that the Yonex PolyTour Pro is Nick Kygrios’ string of choice.
6. Tecnifibre X-One Biphase
Price: $$$ (40ft) | Type: Multifilament | Gauge: 16 | Shape: Round
Pros
- Powerful
- Comfortable
- Good feel
- Tension maintenance
Cons
- Lacks control
- Not much spin
The Tecnifibre X-One Biphase is an outstanding multifilament string that definitely deserves a place on this list.
The X-One Biphase is packed with technology such as Elastyl and PU 400 which helps deliver effortless power. Some players may find this string too powerful but this can be altered by increasing the tension to add more control.
This string is also extremely comfortable due to its soft feel on the ball and exceptional shock absorption making it very arm-friendly. Whilst it may not be as comfortable as a natural gut string, I was very impressed with how the Tecnifibre X-One Biphase performed.
The downsides I found to this string were spin and control due to it being a multifilament string. The Tecnifibre X-One Biphase does offer more spin and control compared to synthetic and natural guts however it still may not be enough for those players who rely on hitting heavy spin.
Once again, a good idea may be to pair this with a polyester string so you can get a good balance of power and control.
7. Solinco Hyper-G
Price: $$ (40ft) | Type: Polyester | Gauge: 16 | Shape: Round
Pros
- Good control
- Lots of spin
- Decent feel
- Good durability
Cons
- Lacks power
- Tension maintenance
The Solinco Hyper-G has been an excellent polyester string for many years.
Whilst the Solinco Hyper-G lacks power, it makes up for it with brilliant control and spin. Like any polyester, the Hyper-G is made for advanced players with powerful strokes who are looking to add more control to their game.
However, one thing that is different about the Solinco Hyper-G compared to other polyester strings is how comfortable it is. It may not be as comfortable as a natural gut, but for a stiff polyester, it doesn’t get much better than this string.
The Hyper-G also offers remarkable feel on the ball which is why it doesn’t surprise me that this is Dustin Brown’s string of choice. But, I did find that this string lacked power and tension maintenance. Even after a few sessions, I could tell that the strings felt a lot looser.
However, the best feature of this string has to be its color. I loved how it looked in my Babolat Pure Drive.
Different Types of Tennis Strings
Different types of tennis strings will provide different amounts of power, control, and feel. Below I’ll walk you through the 5 types of tennis strings and who they are best for:
Polyester
Polyester strings are typically made out of plastic or a single polymer in a monofilament construction meaning it is made out of one material.
They are one of the most popular types of tennis string offering the best control, spin and durability. However, due to the stiff nature of polyester strings, they lack comfort, power and tension maintenance.
This type of string is very popular amongst intermediate to advanced tennis players as they tend to want to play more aggressively. Polyester strings help them control that power allowing them to keep attacking the ball.
Multifilament
As the name suggests, multifilament strings contain more than one filament with the most common materials being nylon, zyex, vectran, kevlar and many more.
Created as an affordable option to natural gut, multifilament strings are extremely comfortable and are perfect for adding some extra power to your game. This is because they are much softer compared to polyester strings resulting in more power and less stress on your arm.
However, the downsides are control, spin and durability due to its soft nature.
This type of string is perfect for players with a flat-hitting style who don’t require much spin in their game and are looking for some easy power.
Natural Gut
I know this might sound crazy but natural gut strings are actually made from cow intestines!
Natural gut offers the best power, comfort and tension maintenance of any tennis string however lacks control and spin.
During the early days, natural gut was considered the “gold standard” of tennis string however with the adaptations of playing styles and new technology being released, fewer and fewer players are choosing natural gut.
That being said, natural gut is still an excellent choice of string for any player looking for effortless power and comfort. Of course, that is if you can justify the cost.
Natural gut strings are also great for players who suffer from arm injuries due to how soft they are.
Synthetic Gut
Synthetic gut is generally the most affordable type of tennis string on the market.
Typically synthetic gut is a very well-rounded string that is comfortable to use and provides a good amount of power.
However, it does lack durability and does not contain the features of some higher-end options.
Synthetic gut is perfect for beginner to intermediate players who are looking for a wallet-friendly string that does a great job.
Hybrid
Hybrid refers to a stringing method where two strings are combined on a racket. This is done by having one string on the mains and a different string on the crosses. This is very popular on the pro tour.
A challenge that many tennis players face is finding a string that is great in all departments. Polyester strings offer excellent control but lack power and natural gut strings lack control but are extremely powerful.
This is when hybrid stringing becomes useful. This means you can combine the control and spin of a polyester string with the power and comfort of a natural gut string to create the perfect combination.
These types of combinations can be bought in a single package such as the Wilson Champion’s Choice Duo which features the Luxilon ALU Power Rough and the Wilson Natural Gut. This was the setup Roger Federer used!
How to Choose Tennis Strings
There are a few factors worth considering when choosing a tennis string:
Shape
Tennis strings can come designed in many different shapes. Most strings will come in a round shape as these tend to play the most consistently and have the best playability duration. However, some strings will come with a textured edge which can add more spin to your game as they grip the ball more.
Type
There are many different types of tennis strings with the most common being polyester, multifilament, natural gut, synthetic gut and hybrid. Each type of string will have its own advantages and disadvantages. To find the best type of string for you, you have to consider your playing style and what you are looking for from a tennis string.
Gauge
Tennis strings can also come in many different gauge sizes. The most common are 16 (1.30mm) and 16L (1.25mm) however can range from 13 (1.70mm) to 22 (0.65mm). The thicker the gauge, the more control and durability, while the thinner the gauge, the more power and comfort you’ll get.
I’ve included a chart of all the different gauge sizes below:
Gauge Size | Millimeters |
13 | 1.65-1.80 mm |
14 | 1.50-1.65 mm |
15 | 1.41-1.49 mm |
15L | 1.33-1.41 mm |
16 | 1.26-1.34 mm |
16L | 1.22-1.30 mm |
17 | 1.16-1.24 mm |
18 | 1.06-1.16 mm |
19 | 0.90-1.06 mm |
20 | 0.80-0.90 mm |
21 | 0.70-0.80 mm |
22 | 0.60-0.70 mm |
Price
How often you play and what type of tennis string you use will determine how often you’ll have to get your tennis racket restrung. Some strings may only last a couple of hours which is why you see pros changing their rackets frequently during a match. This can get expensive. Price is an important factor to consider when buying new tennis strings so make sure you aren’t going to break the bank with your new purchase.
What Tennis Strings Do I Use?
I have been using the Yonex PolyTour Pro in my Babolat Pure Drive for over a year now.
My playing style is an aggressive baseliner that hits heavy spin and likes to take big swings. That is why polyester strings are the best option for me as I’ve found that softer strings are too powerful.
The Babolat Pure Drive is a very powerful tennis racket but I’ve found that the Yonex PolyTour Pro reigns in that power perfectly. The PolyTour Pro gives me an excellent feel of the ball and allows me to hit heavy spin with ease. I’ve also been impressed with the amount of comfort I get from this string. It is nowhere near the amount a natural gut string would offer but it is very impressive for a polyester.
While I believe there are better polyester strings on the market, the Yonex PolyTour Pro gives me a good balance that is well-suited to my game.
Conclusion
With so many different tennis strings on the market, it can be hard to find the best one for you. There are so many factors you have to consider such as power, control, durability and many more.
Hopefully, my guide has helped you have a clearer understanding of what to look for in tennis strings and given you some options to consider.
Now get practicing!
Image Source: Everything Tennis