adidas RX Series 2026 Padel Racket

The adidas RX Series 2026 is the step between the beginner Drive and the carbon rackets: adidas's intermediate round frame, built for the club player who plays every week and wants consistency rather than a weapon. Round head, even balance, centred sweet spot, a fibreglass face over the EVA Soft Performance core — and, unlike the Drive, a Structural Power fibre insert in the heart that adds rigidity and a bit more energy return without stiffening the face.

How it actually plays. Padel Racket Lab scored it 7.8/10 in May 2026 — control 8.1, comfort 7.9, sweet spot 7.9, forgiveness 7.8, manoeuvrability 7.6, power 7.0 — and describe it as “a control-focused option delivering consistency and comfort for developing intermediate players”. Padelful's panel gives 7.0 (rebound 7.5, control 7.0, sweet spot 7.0, manoeuvrability 6.9, power 6.8): easy ball exit, comfortable in defence, stable at the net; on the other side, limited smash power and a soft, muted feedback. Both reviews say the same thing from different angles — this racket keeps the ball in and keeps your arm happy, and it will not finish points for you.

Where it sits. In the adidas range it is $20 above the Drive, with the same face and core plus the Structural Power insert and an intermediate rating, and $90 below the Metalbone Team, which swaps to a diamond shape for attack. Want the same racket lighter? The RX Series Light is 345–360g at the same price. Against other brands, the natural comparisons are the Babolat Counter Vertuo and the Hirostar Solar (softer core, more spin, $385).

A note on shape. adidas list the RX Series as round; one review site calls it a teardrop. The head is round with a slightly fuller top than the Drive, which is where the confusion comes from — we go with adidas.

Is this the racket for you?

• Yes if you play weekly, you have outgrown a beginner frame, and you want a forgiving, comfortable round racket that rewards placement — the classic right-sider's second racket, and an easy recommendation for anyone with a history of tennis elbow.
• No if you want head weight behind the smash (Metalbone Team, Dunlop FX Team), if you want crisp carbon feedback, or if 360g+ feels slow in your hand — take the Light.

Specifications from the adidas Padel Probook 2026 (All For Padel, the adidas padel licensee) and Everything Padel Australia (the Australian distributor), verified 2026-09-29. Where the distributor listing or a review site and the adidas probook disagree we follow the probook. Manufacturer weights vary by around ±10g. Review scores are quoted from the sites named, with their dates; we have not court-tested this frame ourselves.