Short answer: Carlos Alcaraz endorses the Babolat Pure Aero 98, but plays a pro stock version of that mold built in Babolat's tour room in France. He strings Babolat RPM Blast in the low-to-mid 50s.
The frame he really plays
Alcaraz's racquet is a Pure Aero 98 in shape and family, but it is not the one on our wall. Babolat builds his frames on a mold reserved for tour players, with a custom graphite layup and lead added under the bumper at 3 and 9 o'clock to keep the head from twisting on heavy baseline exchanges.
The gap that matters most is swingweight. Retail sits around 327. His is reported well above 335. That is what gives him the plow-through to take the ball on the rise against players hitting as hard as he does, and it is not something you can replicate with a string choice.
Worth clearing up a common mix-up: he does not play the same frame as Rafael Nadal. Nadal's is the standard Pure Aero. Alcaraz moved to the tighter, more control-oriented 98 earlier in his career because it suited how flat he can hit when he wants to.
Published specs
- Head size: 98 sq in
- String pattern: 16x20
- Grip size: 4 1/4 with an overgrip
- Base mold: pro stock Pure Aero 98, tour room built
String and tension
Babolat RPM Blast, the octagonal co-poly the Aero line was effectively designed around. The shape bites the ball and snaps back, which is where a lot of the spin in this setup actually comes from.
Tension is the one number we will not pretend to know exactly. Reporting puts him in the low-to-mid 50s, and sources split on whether he runs a flat bed or drops the crosses a few pounds below the mains to soften the poly. Tour setups also move with surface and conditions. Treat 55 as a reference point, not a spec sheet.
A real warning about this racquet
The Pure Aero 98 is stiff and it does not forgive a dead string bed. Alcaraz himself has dealt with wrist and forearm trouble playing it. If you are stringing this frame, three things matter:
- Start lower than you think. Low 50s at most, and lower if you are coming off a softer setup.
- Restring proactively. The moment you notice the ball stops pocketing or off-center hits feel harsh, cut it out. There is no frame flex here to cover for tired poly.
- Consider a hybrid. Poly mains with a multifilament cross keeps most of the bite and takes real load off the arm.
We would rather sell you one racquet you can play for years than one that puts you in a brace.
What the setup link loads
This is the first setup on our pro list that needed no substitution at all. The frame is the retail Pure Aero 98 he endorses, and the string is the exact string he plays, in the exact gauge. Nothing here is a close-enough stand-in.
The link loads the 4 1/4 grip, which is his actual size. We have 4 3/8 in stock as well if that is closer to your hand. His grip size is not a recommendation for yours; measure or ask us in the shop.
Should you play this setup?
The string, yes, if you take full swings. RPM Blast at a sane tension is one of the most useful polys to have played, because it tells you what a spin-shaped co-poly actually does.
The frame, only if you already bring your own pace. This is a 4.5-and-up racquet for a topspin baseliner who has outgrown a more forgiving 100. If you want the Aero character with easier power and a bigger margin for error, the standard Pure Aero 100 is the better buy and we will tell you that in person too. If you want more control and a flatter ball, look at the Pure Strike instead.
Sources
Frame, string, and grip size are corroborated across Babolat's own tour information and multiple gear specialists. Tension figures vary by source, which is why we have given a range rather than a single number. Pro setups change; treat this as current rather than fixed.