Babolat AeroPro Drive GT Racquet ($190)
You may not have seen the racquet Rafael Nadal wielded a couple of weeks ago to win his ninth grand slam at the U.S. Open because scheduling geniuses aired the men’s championship match on ESPN2. But trust us, Nadal’s signature AeroPro is as lethal as his game. Thanks to a graphite/tungsten (GT) frame it’s solid and stable, yet light enough to generate terrifying racquet-head speed. An open string pattern nurtures sharp serves and nasty spin — especially when equipped with Babolat’s in-demand RPM strings. But much like a flux capacitor, the racquet can be dangerous in the wrong hands — if you’re just learning the game, it may not be for you.
