About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the racquet, which I tested for 7 days from July to October of 2022.

My take

The Yonex EZONE 98 is one of the hottest racquets on the market, having been endorsed by Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka, among others. It pairs well with their aggressive, attacking games, and would be an ideal racquet for intermediate to advanced players looking for maneuverability, power, and a comfortable feel.

About the gear

• Model: Yonex EZONE 98
• Grip Size: 4 ⅜ / EU 3
• String and Tension: Volkl V-Star 55 lbs
• Head Size: 98 sq. in.
• Racquet Length: 27 in.
• Any Customizations: Gamma Overgrip

About me

• Height: 5’11”
• Weight: 185 lbs
• Previous Racquet Played With: Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP
• Experience: 28 years playing tennis
• NTRP/UTA Rating: 5.0

Test conditions

• When I tested this: July 2022 and October 2022
• Days tested: 7 days
• Court Surfaces: Hard
• Match Play/Practice Session/Both: Both
• Where I’ve used it: Public hardcourts around Kingsford, MI

How it performs

What I was looking for

It’s been just over a year with my Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP racquet and I’ve really enjoyed it so far. It’s a great combination of feel and controllable power that suits my game well. If I had to nitpick, I’d say I would like a bit more stability from it. Being one of the most popular racquets on the market in the modern player’s category, the Yonex EZONE 98 was a must-try in my search for a racquet that gives me the traits I like in the Gravity MP but with a little more stability.

Why I chose this gear

The EZONE 98 is one of our best selling racquets at Curated and I recommend it often. It is a prototypical racquet for the modern attacking game with power and spin while offering a more comfortable response than a racquet like the Babolat Pure Drive. After testing this along with two heavier racquets from Head, the Graphene 360+ Speed Pro and Boom Pro, I am still going to stick with my Gravity MP. I like the control and larger sweet spot that the Gravity MP offers me over the EZONE 98.

What I love about it

• Power: The EZONE 98 offers an enticing amount of power that shines on both groundstrokes and serves. It also was very effective when stretched wide to put pace on the ball and get back on level terms with my opponent.
• Maneuverability: The comparatively low 317 RDC swingweight helped to really generate racquet head speed while on the run, helping turn defense into offense. It was also noticeable on second serves where I could get the racquet moving to help generate effective kick and slice.
• Groundstrokes: The EZONE 98 is so much fun to hit groundstrokes with. The combination of power and spin with a comfortable feel made it one of the best racquets I’ve used lately for my forehand.
• Serves: The maneuverability of the EZONE 98 makes it very easy to get moving on serves which helped me get both pace on my first serve and spin on my second.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Stability: The EZONE 98 has a lower swingweight than my Gravity MP even though it weighs .2oz more in static weight. While it wasn’t significantly less stable than my current racquet, it did get pushed around by big first serves and at the net.
• Control: The power and spin I could generate on groundstrokes was a bit erratic at times. I was spraying the ball off the ground and was consistently 3-6 inches long. Also, the sweet spot was a bit smaller than my Gravity MP and off-center hits were noticeably inconsistent. I think this racquet is very string-dependent and would be best with a first generation polyester string that plays with very low power and is strung tighter.

Favorite moment with this gear

The Yonex EZONE 98 is an absolute weapon for my forehand. It was a lot of fun to camp out at the baseline and use the easy power and spin to rip forehands.

Value for the money vs. other options

The EZONE 98 is competitively priced with the similar Wilson Ultra v3 and Dunlop FX500, while coming in slightly cheaper than the Babolat Pure Drive VS.

Final verdict

The Yonex EZONE 98 is a very user-friendly modern player’s racquet that offers loads of power, comfortable feel, and fast-moving maneuverability. With the right string to harness the pop, it is a prototypical racquet for the aggressive attacking all-court player. It is a must-try for anyone looking to add speed to their game. And even if it doesn’t work fully for your game, it is so much fun to hit groundstrokes with.