Tennis

Expert reviews of the HEAD SPEED 2026

What the experts said after playtesting the SPEED 2026 tennis racquet series.

“Brilliant”, “exceptional” and a wish come true were just some of the expert reviews of HEAD’s SPEED 2026 tennis racquet series. After testing the new SPEED racquets – which let you play fast with precise power, and which are endorsed by Jannik Sinner – reviewers also called them “joyous” and “absolutely beautiful” to hit with.

The play-testers had a lot of praise for the SPEED TOUR 2026, a new model with a smaller head size than the other racquets in HEAD’s bestselling SPEED series. Launching in January 2026, the new SPEED range has been upgraded with new Hy-Bor technology. Reviewers felt the benefit of that astonishing technology, which enhances the perceived stability, power and control while helping tennis players of all levels to generate more spin. The other new model in the SPEED 2026 series is the SPEED MP UL 2026, a super light and maneuverable racquet which offers fast swings and easy power for beginners and up-and-coming juniors.

“For once, the name of a racquet and a play style go hand in hand,” a reviewer for PH Tennis said of the SPEED 2026 range. “If you play with speed, with a fast swing, the SPEED is a joyous racquet to use.”

“What the SPEED does well is that it offers a lot in terms of versatility – good power and good control,” noted a reviewer for All Things Tennis. “What HEAD does really well is [making] a racquet for every type of player.”

The upgrade in technologies comes with a new, minimalistic design that was appreciated by reviewers. SPEED’s iconic black and white look has been updated with a new asymmetrical design in metallic blue-black and pearly white, with the matte finish contributing to the premium look and feel. “They’ve made the racquets look better,” an expert from PH Tennis said. If the SPEED racquets look great, they also sound fantastic, according to the reviewers. One expert from Tennis Warehouse said the sound on impact when hitting with a SPEED 2026 racquet was “really crisp and really clean”, “like a really sweet shot”. “It almost makes me feel like a pro tour player when I hit the ball because I get that nice pop,” he said.

Reviews of the SPEED TOUR 2026

“Brilliant,” one reviewer for PH Tennis said of the new SPEED TOUR 2026. He couldn’t stress enough how much he loved this racquet. “When I was ripping forehands, it had maneuverability and flex. I could serve with it, volley with it. Honestly, it got to the point where I thought I can almost swing as fast as I like at this ball and it just stayed in. With the 16x19 string pattern, you can get loads of spin. But the 97-square-inch head size tightens it all up. That made the sweetspot feel amazing and just reined it in enough. I couldn’t believe how good it was. This has genuinely changed my perception of racquets. You can be creative, you can be powerful, you can be subtle. You can play in different styles and it works.”

The reviewer thought the SPEED TOUR 2026 would suit players with a wide range of game styles: “The SPEED racquets are all brilliant racquets and the TOUR is exceptional. I played some of my best tennis in a long time using the TOUR.” Another expert reviewer for PH Tennis spoke of the “absolutely beautiful” experience when playing with the TOUR indoors.

For many years, the reviewer for Racquet Guys had been hoping that HEAD would make a SPEED racquet with a smaller head size. “My wish finally came true,” he said of the SPEED TOUR 2026. “I can honestly say this is exactly what I had been hoping for. The smaller head size provided great control. On groundstrokes, the racquet felt amazing: very crisp and stable while still providing easy maneuverability. I found myself instantly gelling with the racquet and had to make no adjustments when it came to my swing. This racquet has a lower launch angle which allowed me to flatten out some shots and play more aggressively. Other times when I hit a neutral ball with a little bit more height and depth, it was easily adjustable.”

The Racquet Guys reviewer also enjoyed hitting volleys with this racquet. “I found the weight and balance of the racquet made it very easy to maneuver at net with reaction volleys, and very stable when having to redirect pace. The smaller head size provided me with great touch, allowing for effortless drop volleys,” he said.

Serving was also a joy with the SPEED TOUR 2026. “If you find the sweetspot most of the time, the ball absolutely launches off the stringbed and you would never have guessed it was 97-square-inch head size. The placement of my serves was very point and shoot. I was able to visualize my target and that’s exactly where the ball went. This racquet really felt like an extension of my arm,” the reviewer said. “Overall, I was very impressed with this racquet. It offers everything I hoped it would. Controlled power, a crisp and responsive stringbed, along with great maneuverability and stability when it came to all of my strokes.”

One reviewer for Tennis Warehouse said she “loved the playability” of the SPEED TOUR 2026. “It’s super stable but I still have access to power. I feel like it’s got a great swing weight behind it. I love that it’s a smaller head size. It’s comfortable and stable. Everything about it has been awesome so far. I’m trying to find my next racquet and I need something that’s stable, maneuvrable and controlled and I can still hit my big shots and right now this one seems to be doing the trick.”

One reviewer for All Things Tennis said the TOUR was “perfect for players who are wanting a little bit more pop, and a little bit more forgiveness and a little bit more spin”. “This helps you out so much more than your typical control-oriented frames. This is a missing piece in the racquet market, in my opinion. It’s a control-oriented racquet but it really helps you out. That sweetspot is actually a joke [meaning it’s so good].” Another expert for All Things Tennis commented: “If you’re someone who wants to be really aggressive and to hit through the court, this is a racquet that HEAD didn’t have before.”

Reviews of the SPEED MP 2026

“A smooth, controlled strike of the ball, which feels really nice,” a reviewer for All Things Tennis said of the SPEED MP 2026. “When a big ball is coming towards you, you can soak that up and send it back. But I also feel like I can generate my own pace with it, which is surprising as it’s a control racquet. I feel like I can put more into it but it’s still controlled. It’s just amazing for control at the net. It feels so nice.”

According to PH Tennis, the SPEED MP 2026 is “a very easy racquet to play with” and that it feels as though there is more stability on impact than with the previous generation. “If you’re a club-level player, the MP will be great.”

Reviews of the HEAD SPEED PRO 2026

“I love the swing weight on this and the feeling on the contact. You don’t really have to try too hard to get the weight on it,” according to the All Things Tennis reviewer. “You can stay through it as much as you want as you have that control. The feeling I have with this racquet is that I can pretty much swing as hard as I want and I still get the control out of it. You can flatten it out a lot easier.” One reviewer for Tennis Warehouse, who used to play with the previous generation of the SPEED PRO, said of the 2026 version: “I like the new version because there is a lot of playability and also a lot of control.”

“If you’re a serve and volleyer, if you want to hit early and hit flat, the PRO is for you,” a reviewer for PH Tennis said of the SPEED PRO 2026.

Do you want to also play fast? Now you know what the experts think of the SPEED 2026 series, why not try the racquets for yourself?

Expert Reviews of the HEAD Speed 2024

There’s “a beautiful feel”, according to one expert reviewer, when you hit the ball in the sweetspot of the new SPEED 2024 tennis racquet. Another expert said after their playtest that the SPEED will continue being a bestseller for HEAD as “it suits everyone”.

With the introduction of new Auxetic 2.0 technology, the upgraded SPEED series – which is endorsed by Italian star Jannik Sinner - lets you play fast while enjoying a sensational, softer and more comfortable feeling. The super-accurate feedback in real-time creates a unity between you and your racquet, which is the true art of speed. For a premium look and feel, the SPEED 2024 series has a new, contemporary design with a special surface coating from a Swiss lacquer supplier that is luxuriously soft to the touch.

Reviews of the SPEED 2024 series:

The SPEED 2024 series has “more of a plush feel at contact”, according to The Tennis Mentor reviewer. The addition of Auxetic 2.0 technology means that you have “a beautiful feel when you the hit the ball on the sweetspot”. While the reviewer has always loved the SPEED series, he adores the racquets even more after this upgrade. He tends to play with a dampener in his strings. He didn’t when testing these racquets and didn’t even notice, an indication of how the Auxetic 2.0 technology has enhanced the feel.

The Tennis Mentor expert reviewed the SPEED series at HEAD’s Austrian HQ, including using data from Trackman, which allowed him to compare his performance with each of the racquets. “I love these racquets as you pretty much get a bit of everything – control, power, speed and comfort. If you’re a player looking to switch racquets, or to get your first racquet, and don’t know where to start, I always advise demoing a SPEED. This is going to give you a really good starting point,” said the reviewer, who observed that the special coating means the racquets are “velvety” to the touch.

The Tennis Express reviewer praised the new design of the SPEED series: “These racquets have a really nice new finish, with a soft matte finish. Really soft to the touch and really nice-looking racquets.”

Reviews of the SPEED 2024 PRO:

“From the very first hit, I loved the feel of this racquet,” said the reviewer for the Tennis Warehouse. “This racquet feels so solid to me. I felt super-connected to the ball, maybe a bit of a slightly muted feel. For me, that all came together perfectly. I loved drilling with this racquet. I felt very precise with my groundstrokes and also felt dialled in at the net and felt like I could hit my targets really well.” The Auxetic 2.0 technology “optimises feel at contact and helps keeps the racquet stable”. The updated racquet “remains one of our favourite precise weapons on the market”.

Another reviewer for the Tennis Warehouse said it was “a really nice update”: “If you like the [previous] SPEED PRO, you’re going to love this one too.” A third expert from the Tennis Warehouse noted: “When I think of well-balanced racquets, there are a few that come to mind. However, this new 2024 evolution of the SPEED PRO might be top of the heap. I’m just so impressed with the way this racquet was put together.”

The reviewer for Tennis Express said the SPEED 2024 PRO is “very comfortable on the arm”. “It’s probably the most usable pro model out there. With the Auxetic 2.0 technology, the idea is greater, refined feel and feedback when the ball contacts the strings. A very nice frame from HEAD,” the reviewer added.

Reviews of the SPEED 2024 MP:

“This racquet is a bestseller for a reason as it suits many types of players,” said the reviewer for Tennis Nerd. “This is for sure a good racquet and will stay as a bestseller. It’s a good stick for baseliners, for guys and girls who play like Jannik Sinner and want to control from the baseline. But you can also be an all-court player. It kind of suits everyone this racquet.” The reviewer said “you will definitely notice” the Auxetic 2.0 technology. “The Auxetic 2.0 technology makes a big difference as the racquet feels more dampened, a little bit more solid and the sweetspot feels more generous.”

The Tennis Express expert described the SPEED 2024 MP as “probably the most well-rounded in the franchise” and “a little bit more spin-friendly and a little bit crisper than the SPEED PRO”.

Reviews of the SPEED 2024 MP L:

“The SPEED MP L really surprised me. It felt incredible,” said the reviewer for The Tennis Mentor. The reviewer for Tennis Express also recommended the SPEED 2024 MP L: “If you’re a junior and you like the MP, but it might be a little bit too [heavy] for you, the MP L is a great option.”

Reviews of the SPEED 2024 TEAM:

“The racquet is super-forgiving and opens up the franchise to different ability levels, even down to the beginner level,” said the reviewer for Tennis Express. The expert from The Tennis Mentor also enjoyed playtesting the SPEED 2024 TEAM: “If you’re a player with a slower swing or maybe a good level performance junior player, and you want to give the SPEED line a go, then look at the TEAM and the MP L as they’re great racquets.”

You’ve read the (glowing) reviews: now it’s time to experience the art of speed for yourself. With the SPEED 2024, you get that winning feeling faster.