The 2026 Tennis String Report

Intro

The modern string landscape is crowded, complex, and constantly evolving. Is there a perfect setup? How do you find it? And what do the pros trust when pressure peaks?

We unpack all of it in the 2026 Tennis String Report: what changed, what matters, and which strings are worth your time.

Landscape Changes

The last 12 months did not bring a single “revolutionary” string that rewrote physics.

What happened is more interesting. The market kept shifting toward playability. Softer impact. Easier snapback. Better feel. And it is happening without giving up the two things modern players demand most: spin and control.

Softer strings are not a niche anymore. They are becoming the standard.

The rise of the arm-friendly poly

One trend is now impossible to ignore: “arm-friendly poly” is no longer a contradiction.

Retailers and reviewers are describing more new polys in terms of:

• • • comfort
    • dwell time
    • shock reduction
    • low friction coatings

Not just bite, launch, and spin potential.

This shift is being driven by one simple change: poly is not only for advanced players anymore. As more recreational players adopt polyester, brands are engineering poly benefits with fewer side effects.

The Rise of the Small Brand

Direct-to-consumer has changed the landscape.

Small brands can launch, iterate, and build community without waiting for traditional retail gatekeeping. This does not kill legacy strings, but it does steal experimentation time.

Players who used to default to the same two reels are now testing three to five contenders a season.

Hybrid culture is now mainstream

Hybrid setups are no longer just for gear nerds. They are mainstream.

Players treat setups like recipes:

• • • mains = personality
    • crosses = stability and feel

Boutique brands are leaning into that culture by making experimentation easier through:

• • • limited editions
    • geometry tweaks
    • additive and material experiments
    • shape and color variants
    • faster drops

That world will keep accelerating.

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New to strings?

If you’ve made it this far and have no idea what we’re talking about, you are not alone.
Check out our Beginner’s Guide to Tennis Strings for poly vs multi, hybrids, tension, and where to start.
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Brands Making a Name for Themselves

Several brands stood out in 2025, not necessarily because they “won,” but because they influenced what players are testing right now.

Grapplesnake

Grapplesnake continued pushing unconventional geometry and tour-level design. Releases like Tour Mako Short Fin Hexagonal reinforce their reputation for innovation without overproduction. Tour M8 also continues building a strong following and has become one of their most trusted staples.

ReString

ReString leaned into a next-gen poly identity. Sync positioned itself as a more refined, feel-oriented counterpart to Zero. Vivo leaned into sustainability and balance without giving up performance.

Toroline

Customization remains Toroline’s calling card. Their String Bar concept and constant SKU evolution has made hybrid testing approachable. They also pushed boundaries with the release of Truffle, a string that is not polyester, plays more like a multi, and still competes in the poly performance world.

True Pro

True Pro gained momentum through breadth and consistency. They offer a wide range of poly and multifilament options for players who want subtle tuning, reliable playability, and strong value.

Solinco

Solinco is on a roll. With extremely popular releases like Confidential and Mach-10, they continue proving that high spin and high playability can coexist. They are also in a great spot to push new releases quickly thanks to their strong retail presence.

Strings of The Year

Underrated / Best Value

🏆Gamma Premium Poly
Honorable mentions: Tennis Only P6, True Pro Pure Rush

Category Benders

🏆Poly-like Multi: Tecnifibre Triax
🏆Multi-like Poly: ReString Sync

Classic and Reliable

🏆Poly: Babolat RPM Blast
🏆Multi: Wilson Sensation

Best New Poly

🏆Solinco Mach-10

Notable Spotlights

• • • Solinco Confidential
    • True Pro Pure Rush
    • Toroline O-Toro
    • Grapplesnake Tour M8
      

What the Pros Use

Based on our research, here are the strings that pros are using on tour. 

Player	String Pattern	Mains	Crosses	Tension	Tension	Source
Carlos Alcaraz	16×20	RPM Blast (Poly)	RPM Blast (Poly)	55 / 53	25 / 24	Babolat / Tour stringers
Jannik Sinner	16×19	Hawk Touch (Poly)	Hawk Touch (Poly)	62 / 62	28 / 28 kg	HEAD / Tennis Companion
Novak Djokovic	18×20	VS Touch (gut) (Natural Gut)	ALU Power Rough (Poly)	60 / 58	27–28 / 26–27	ATP stringers
Alexander Zverev	16×19	Hawk Touch (Poly)	VS Touch (gut) (Natural Gut)	53 / 55	24 / 25	Tennis Nerd / stringers
Ben Shelton	16×19	Poly Tour Strike (Poly)	Poly Tour Pro (Poly)	60 / 57	27 / 26	Yonex / US Open
Frances Tiafoe	16×19	Poly Tour Pro (Poly)	Poly Tour Pro (Poly)	42 / 42	19 / 19	Yonex interview
Rafael Nadal	16×19	RPM Blast (Poly)	RPM Blast (Poly)	55 / 55	25 / 25	Babolat / RG
Roger Federer	16×19	Nat Gut (Natural Gut)	ALU Power Rough (Poly)	58 / 55	26.5 / 25	Wilson / USO
Iga Świątek	16×19	Razor Code (Poly)	Razor Code (Poly)	53 / 53	24 / 24	Tecnifibre
Elena Rybakina	16×19	Poly Tour Fire (Poly)	Poly Tour Fire (Poly)	56 / 56	25.5 / 25.5	Yonex
Grigor Dimitrov	16×19	Nat Gut (Natural Gut)	Luxilon 4G (Poly)	56 / 54	25.5 / 24.5	ATP stringers
Matteo Berrettini	16×19	Firestorm (Poly)	Firestorm (Poly)	51 / 51	23 / 23	Signum Pro

 

Final Thoughts: What to Watch in 2026

Here’s what we expect in the year ahead:

• • • more category-blending constructions
    • more strings that do not fit neatly into “poly vs multi”
    • more emphasis on launch angles and fine-tuned performance
    • more boutique drops and faster iteration

If 2025 was the year playability became the priority, 2026 looks like the year it becomes the system.

If there’s one takeaway from this report, it’s this: playability is winning. Players still want spin and control, but they want it without the harshness. And in 2026, more brands are finally building in that direction.

Your strings are your connection to the ball. Get that part right, and everything else gets easier.