Babolat commemorates 30 years of the Pure Drive racquet

It can be argued that no piece of equipment embodies modern tennis more than the Babolat Pure Drive. With its stiff, chunky beam tailor-made to produce heavy groundies and massive serves, the racquet has become synonymous with baseline aggression.

Its legend started 30 years ago. After producing strings for more than a century, Babolat released its first range of racquets. As the pro game was littered with small heads and thin, constant box beam frames that emphasized control, the French brand opted to flip that script. The Pure Drive featured a bigger face and a thick, rigid variable beam with an elliptical cross section.

The design gave the racquet a larger and more forgiving sweet spot than a classic “players” frame, and a much deeper power supply.

The sport started to take notice of the Pure Drive when Carlos Moya used the second generation of the frame to win the 1998 Roland Garros championship. It was clear this string brand was on to something. Fast forward a few years later when Andy Roddick bombed 140-mph serves on his way to the US Open title, and Babolat’s racquet prominence was cemented.

Other Grand Slam singles champs—Kim Clijsters, Li Na, Garbine Muguruza, Sofia Kenin—and Top 10 players followed, but it’s the Pure Drive’s unusual combination of easy power and spin potential in a lighter weight, stable package that has amassed its legion of users from stadium courts to public parks.

There have been new technologies and various tweaks to the frame over its 10 generations, but its DNA has remained unchanged: Grip it, rip it. Now, this legacy is being celebrated in beautfiul commemorative fashion.

To celebrate the Pure Drive’s three decades of popularity and influence in the game, Babolat has released a special edition 30the anniversary frame. It has the same specs and technologies as the current Pure Drive released in 2021. That racquet featured two new wrinkles: High torsional rigidity system for better stability and energy return at contact, and a further expansion of its SMAC vibration dampening.

However, this commemorative model updates one of the frame’s iconic traits—its color—in a brand-new way. Every blue paint used since the first edition of the racquet has been condensed to create an original shades of blue design. The message remains unchanged, but this messenger brings a distinctive look to the court. It’s a unique collectible and an attractive addition to any Pure Drive user’s racquet bag.

The limited-edition Pure Drive 30th anniversary model retails for $300. It’s currently available in limited supply at babolat.com and select tennis specialty retailers.