About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the tennis racquet, which I tested for 5 days in September of 2022.

My take

The Wilson Ultra 100 V3 is a very user-friendly racquet for players from ambitious beginners all the way to advanced players looking for power and spin. It is easy to swing and has a forgiving sweet spot that makes it adaptable to various styles.

About the gear I tested

• Model: Wilson Ultra 100 V3
• Grip Size: 4 ⅜ / EU 3
• String and Tension: Tennis Only Proto P6 53 lbs
• Head size: 100
• Racquet Length: 27
• Any Customizations: Wilson Pro White Overgrip

About me

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

Test conditions

• When I tested these: September 2022
• Days tested: 5
• Court Surfaces: Hard
• Match Play/Practice Session/Both: Both
• Where I’ve used it: Kingsford High School, Kingsford, MI

How it performs

What I was looking for

I love my current Head Graphene 360+ Gravity MP. It’s the best all-around racquet I’ve owned and suits my game well. If I could nitpick about one thing, it’s that it can get pushed around against my biggest-hitting opponents. My friend, Brian, hits big serves with lots of pace and spin off the ground, and, at times, it causes the Gravity MP to flutter in my hand on impact, leading to a weak reply. I have been testing multiple racquets this summer to see if any can improve the stability of the Gravity MP while still retaining the fantastic all-around playability.

Why I did not purchase this gear

After using the Wilson Ultra 100 V3 for a week, I found it too stiff and powerful for my game. It lacked the feel I love about the Gravity MP, was harsh on my elbow, and was hard to control.

What I love about it

• Power: The Ultra series from Wilson is all about power and speed, and the Ultra 100 V3 is one of the most powerful racquets I’ve tested this summer. With a very stiff 73RA rating, the frame returns a lot of energy to the ball and creates a good pace with relative ease.
• Maneuverability: The fairly low 312 RDC swingweight makes it easy to generate racquet head speed with the Ultra 100 V3. This helps for hitting winners on the run and producing effective kick and slice on second serves

Issues I’ve encountered

• Control: With a light swingweight and all the inherent power of the frame, it is very easy to overhit with the Ultra 100 for someone with long and fast strokes like me. I often found the ball sailing long and had to adapt my swing to the racquet. Someone with shorter or slower swings likely wouldn’t have this problem.
• Stability: Knowing the specs ahead of time, I expected that the Ultra 100 would struggle against stronger opponents as much or more than my current Gravity MP. The low swingweight that helps it to be so maneuverable is definitely a liability against pace.
• Feel: The best way to describe the feel of the Ultra 100 V3 is crisp. With a fairly firm polyester string in, there was a ton of feedback from the racquet, and it started to hurt my elbow fairly early in the test. This firm and responsive feel are definitely not for me.

My favorite moment with this gear

The best shots I hit with the Ultra 100 V3 were on-the-run forehands where the maneuverability and power could work together to generate effective winners.

Value for the money vs. other options

At MSRP, the Wilson Ultra 100 V3 is competitively priced with similar racquets, such as the Dunlop FX 500, and a bit less than the Babolat Pure Drive. It plays very similarly to the Head Instinct MP 2022, which is $80 less and a much better buy for its better feel. A new version of the Ultra 100 was recently released, so there are deals to be had on the V3.

Final verdict

The Wilson Ultra 100 V3 is a modern players racquet that is designed for power and speed, which it delivers in excess. It’s very user-friendly and can be played with by players from beginner to advanced, though big swinging power players like me may find it harder to control.