Tolito Aguirre's signature line comes in two builds on the same diamond mould: the Alien Pro at $545 and the Alien Core at $525. Twenty dollars separates them on the price tag; a great deal more separates them on court. This guide covers what the two share, the three things that differ, what the one independent test of the Alien Pro found, and which racket suits which player. Live prices are on the cards below.
The short version
| Alien Pro 2026 | Alien Core 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Diamond | Diamond (same mould) |
| Balance | High (one tester measured 29cm) | Medium-high |
| Face | 24K carbon | 12K carbon |
| Core | EVA Black X-Treme (hard) | EVA Black (medium) |
| Weight | 365–380g | 365–380g |
| Level | Advanced | Intermediate to advanced |
| Price | $545 | $525 |
| Who it is for | Advanced attackers who want a stiff, precise diamond and accept a small sweet spot and below-average comfort to get it. | All-court players who want Tolito's shape but need to defend and block with it for a full match. |
The one-line answer: buy the Pro if you finish points overhead and your technique is repeatable; buy the Core if you are not sure, because the Core forgives what the Pro punishes. The rest is the reasoning.
What is identical
More than you might expect. Both are built on the same custom diamond mould with the same aerodynamic anti-vibration bridge at the throat, the same Smart Holes drilling pattern, a 38mm profile, a 100% carbon tubular frame and a matte sandblasted face for spin. Both sit in the same 365–380g weight band, which is heavy for a diamond at this price; if you need a racket under 360g the Alien line is not where to look. Both carry 2026 colourway updates — Cosmic Blu on the Pro, Xeno Green on the Core — over a build Hirostar say is technically unchanged from 2025. What you are choosing between is what happens at the moment of contact.
What differs, and what each change does
Three things, and they all push in the same direction.
- 24K versus 12K carbon face. The number is the tow count of the carbon weave. A 24K face is stiffer and gives more direct feedback; a 12K face flexes more on contact, which widens the effective sweet spot a little and softens the feel. What the weave numbers actually mean covers the detail.
- EVA Black X-Treme versus standard EVA Black. Hirostar's core family runs from Soft through Mid, standard and 17 to X-Treme. The Pro uses the firmest rubber the brand makes; the Core uses the middle-density one. A harder core returns energy faster on a clean strike and gives less on a mis-hit; a medium core absorbs more, which helps comfort and the block at the cost of the top end of the smash.
- High versus medium-high balance. Padel.how measured the Pro's balance point at 29cm, which is firmly head-heavy. The Core drops to medium-high: less leverage on the overhead, a quicker racket in hand at the net and on the defensive lob. Racket weight and balance explains why balance matters more than the number on the scale.
Put together: the Pro is stiffer at the face, harder in the core and heavier at the head, and each choice raises the ceiling on a well-struck attacking ball while lowering the floor on everything else. The Core reverses all three by one notch.
The Alien Pro: the evidence
The Pro is the one with a scored, independent test. Padel.how played the 2025 Alien Pro — identical to the 2026 apart from the colourway — and gave it 73/100, joint 15th of 31 in their 2025 attacking-diamond category. The sub-scores tell the story better than the total: control 9, net play 7.5, power ceiling 7.5, manoeuvrability 7, defence 7, stability 7, sweet spot 7, spin 7, power on demand 7 and comfort 6.5.
A control score of 9 on a hard-core, head-heavy diamond is the unusual part. Their reading was that this is a controlled attacking racket — placement is its strongest quality rather than raw power, and the 24K face on the X-Treme core gives very direct feedback about where you struck the ball. The trade-offs are the two lowest numbers: they described impact as “a meaningful compromise rather than an additional selling point” and noted that “the hard-core diamond is not a broad, soft contact platform”. Their summary of who it suits: “an advanced player who likes a firm, high-balance setup and values precise attack over maximum softness”. Everythingpadel in the UK describe it the same way — firm, direct, and for experienced players rather than developing ones.
We read that as a strong recommendation for a narrow player. If your contact is inconsistent, the Pro will show it to you on every point.
The Alien Core: the evidence
There is no scored, independent test of the Alien Core that we have been able to find. Everything below is Hirostar's own description, the retailers who carry it, and inference from the Pro's test on the shared mould.
Hirostar pitch the Core as the most controlled and balanced expression of the Alien line; the retail copy describes the EVA Black core as “a slightly softer, more comfortable response than the Pro's firmer X-Treme setup” and the medium-high balance as giving “attacking leverage without feeling as demanding as the Alien Pro”. Padel.how, in their review of the Pro, pointed readers to the Alien Core 26 as the “control-led alternative” for anyone questioning how much attacking emphasis they actually need. That is a tester's steer, not a test.
The physics support the positioning. Starting from the Pro's sub-scores, a softer face, softer core and lower balance on the same shape should move comfort and sweet spot up and the power ceiling down. Treat that as reasoning rather than results. For an intermediate-to-advanced all-court player who wants a diamond they can block and defend with, it is the one to buy.
Which one for you
- Advanced left-side attacker, repeatable technique, finishes overhead: Alien Pro.
- Intermediate moving up, or an advanced player who defends as much as attacks: Alien Core.
- You have ever had elbow or shoulder trouble: Core, and honestly consider a softer frame than either. Padel and tennis elbow sets out what gear can and cannot do.
- You are choosing between control and power more generally: read control vs power first — the Alien question is a narrower version of that one.
- You are not sure which you are: Core. The gap is one notch on three settings, and the Core's notch is the forgiving one. If you outgrow it, you will know.
The wider range is covered in our Hirostar guide, the racket finder scores both Aliens against your level and style, and the Hirostar collection has all six frames we stock.
Each Alien against its nearest rival
Alien Pro versus the Siux Fenix Pro 2026 and Babolat Technical Viper 3.0. These are the two stiff attacking diamonds we would put next to the Pro. The Fenix Pro brings more raw power with similar unforgiveness and is currently $388.99 against an RRP of $595, a lot cheaper than the Pro's $545. The Technical Viper 3.0 has a fraction more damping and sits at $452.99 (RRP $559). The Pro's case against both is the control score: if placement matters more than the hardest ball, it holds its own. The adidas Metalbone HRD+ at $659 is the other high-balance diamond in the Pro's bracket; compare will put any two side by side.
Alien Core versus the NOX AT10 Genius 12K Alum Xtrem and Hirostar Redstone. The AT10 Genius 12K Alum Xtrem is Agustín Tapia's 12K diamond and is currently $452.99 against an RRP of $640, so it undercuts the Core by a clear margin. The in-house alternative is the Redstone at $395 (RRP $485): an 18K diamond with a medium-low balance, which Padelspeed's spotlight test summarised as “attack plus manoeuvrability”. If you want Tolito's mould, it is the Core; if you want a Hirostar diamond you can swing fast at the net, the Redstone does that for $130 less.
Frequently asked questions
Which Alien does Tolito Aguirre actually play?
The Alien Pro. It is his signature frame and the one he competes with on the Premier Padel tour, and he has been a Hirostar shareholder since July 2024. As with every sponsored professional, the frame he plays may differ from the retail model. What rackets do the pros use covers the wider tour.
Is the Alien Core good for intermediates?
For a strong intermediate with consistent contact, yes — it is the racket Hirostar aim at that player. It is still a 365–380g diamond, so it is not the most forgiving frame you can buy at $525; a round or teardrop will be kinder to a developing game. It is the better Alien for an intermediate by some margin.
Is the Alien Pro arm-friendly?
No. Padel.how gave it 6.5 for comfort, its lowest sub-score. A 24K face on the hardest core in the range with a head-heavy balance is the opposite of an arm-friendly specification. The Core is softer on all three counts but is not what we would call arm-friendly either.
Is the 2026 Alien different from the 2025?
Hirostar say the technical build is unchanged: the 2026 Pro and Core are colourway updates, Cosmic Blu and Xeno Green respectively, over the same mould, face, core and balance as the 2025 frames. That is why the Padel.how test of the 2025 Alien Pro still applies to the racket we sell.
Specifications from hirostar.com, the Australian distributor's listings and the retailers named, verified 25 September 2026. The Alien Pro score and sub-scores are quoted from Padel.how's test of the 2025 frame and are their opinion; no scored independent test of the Alien Core exists that we could find. We have not court-tested either racket ourselves. Prices shown on the cards above are live; rival prices were correct on 25 September 2026.