Is the Yonex Ezone 98 a winner? If you ask Madison Keys and Denis Shapovalov, the answer is yes. Here is why.
Madison Keys started her year with a new racquet, the Yonex Ezone 98, and won her first grand slam title at the Australian Open.
Now Denis Shapovalov won his first title in the Dallas ATP 500, and Shapovalov is using a Yonex Ezone 98 as well. What stands out with his racquet is the custom 18/20 string pattern. There has never been an Ezone 98 with this string pattern, so this is something that Yonex can offer their pro athletes if they feel like they need it.
As you might know, Denis has been on and off with racquets and strings for a while. He has mainly been using Yonex strings as far as I am aware, but in Dallas it was clear that he was using a silvery gray string that very closely resembles Luxilon Alu Power. I would actually be very surprised if it isn’t Alu Power.
However, in reverse, Madison Keys switched her string setup from Alu Power in her Blade Pro, to Yonex Poly Tour Rev in her Ezone 98. So different strokes for different folks.
Comparing the Yonex Ezone to the Babolat Pure Drive
We have a video on our YouTube channel (embedded here) where we compare the new Yonex Ezones and the Babolat Pure Drives as they are both power category racquets.
The Ezones are known for their more dampened feel and that is what stands out also with their latest edition.
The Pure Drives remain crisp and explosive, but has improved the comfort over the previous generation.
When we compared the Yonex Ezone 98 vs the Babolat Pure Drive 98, we felt like the Ezone played with more ease and a more pleasant feel. The Pure Drive 98 requires more from the user. Some thought it offered a higher launch angle than the Ezone, but Nikki argued for the opposite. It shows the personal bias of testing racquets, as we all have our preconceived notions and differences.
Overall, we preferred the Ezone 98, (however, using the Aero 98, I still felt quite at home with the Drive 98 and appreciated it being more comfortable than the 2021 edition).
The Ezone 98 also won the heart of one of my frequent hitting partners, who previously used the Blade 104. It shows that even players used to larger head sizes can appreciate its playability.
So of all the racquets we tested the Yonex Ezones 98 was the most impressive.
Babolat Pure Drive 100 vs Yonex Ezone 100
The reverse was true for the larger head size versions. Yonex have stiffened up the Ezone 100 compared to the 2022 version, which gives it even more power. Something I am not sure it needed. With the Pure Drive 100, the power level remained similar, but the NF2-tech softened up some of the feel of the racquet and made it the winner for me.
I was a big fan of the Yonex Ezone 100 2022, but felt like the 2025 version was a step too far in increasing stiffness and power level. I understand that they wanted to make the racquets more different, which in a way made it easier for me to figure out that the Ezone 100 2025 is not for me.
The Pure Drive 100 is a racquet I have contemplated switching to as it is user-friendly, more comfortable than previous Pure Drives, and has that addictive power.
Summary
There were many good racquets released in January 2025. The Tfights have received a lot of positive attention, the Dunlop SX are interesting bats that I am currently testing, the HEAD Gravity Tour 98 is hyped for a reason, however the Ezone 98 might be the easiest one to like.
Yes, it is all a matter of personal taste and style, of course, but the Ezone 98 is one of those racquets that should be demoed if possible. Just ask Madison Keys or Denis Shapovalov!
