When you buy a product through our links below, we may earn money from our affiliate partners to help support the site. However, this does not affect our evaluation or recommendation of each product. See our list of partners & how we get paid here. You can also learn our process for reviewing tennis gear here.
The Wilson Ultra is one of the best tennis racquets for power on the market. Below, we’ll review the Wilson Ultra, including pros, cons, and different models of the racquet. Then, we’ll compare it to other tennis racquets to help you decide if the Ultra is right for you.
Review Summary & Ratings for the Wilson Ultra
The Wilson Ultra tennis racquets are made for beginner to intermediate players seeking more power and spin from the baseline, and it is also playable at the advanced level.
The Ultra is used by several professional tennis players including Victoria Azarenka. It comes in several different weights and sizes, making it a great racquet for multiple skill levels. The Ultra is one of the best tennis racquets for power on the market.
See our ratings, plus the pros and cons of the Wilson Ultra below for a quick glance at how it performs compared to other tennis racquets.
Our Ratings for the Wilson Ultra
- Power: 9
- Control: 6
- Spin: 8
- Serve: 8
- Return: 7
- Groundstrokes: 8
- Volleys: 6
- Price: $$$
Pros
- Excellent power-oriented racquet for all skill levels
- Great for players who control from the baseline
- Lightweight & easy to swing
- Adds power & solid spin to groundstrokes
Cons
- Stiff frame can feel uncomfortable
- Not great on volleys or touch shots
Different Versions of the Wilson Ultra Tennis Racquet
The Wilson Ultra tennis racquet comes in several versions that vary in weight and size. Below is a list of the different Wilson Ultra racquets on the market today.
We’ll review each version in more detail below.
What did Wilson Update with the Ultra v4?
With the newest versions of the Ultra, Wilson did not make significant changes.
- All versions other than the UL stayed virtually the same, with the UL weighing 0.1 oz. heavier.
You can still purchase the old version of the Ultra and its family of racquets for a discount.
3 Steps to Find the Perfect Tennis Racquet for Your Game
Free checklist with 27 racquet recommendations
Wilson Ultra 100 Review: A Power Baseliner’s Racquet
We’ll start with the standard version, the Wilson Ultra 100 v4. Below are the specifications and on-court performance you should expect from this racquet.
Wilson Ultra 100 v4 Racquet Specifications
- Weight: 11.2 oz. strung
- Head Size: 100 square inches
- Length: 27 inches
- Balance: 330.2 mm
- String Pattern: 16×19
The 100 square-inch head, thick beam, and open string pattern all make it a powerful racquet. The sweet spot is generous and it’s also a fairly lightweight tennis racquet, making it easy to swing.
Other Sellers: Amazon.com | Wilson.com
The Ultra 100 Racquet Prioritizes Power & Topspin
With this tennis racquet, Wilson has prioritized power. The Ultra is one of the top 7 tennis racquets for power.
You’ll find it easy to create depth on your groundstrokes from the baseline without swinging too hard. The 100-inch head size gives it a large, forgiving sweet spot so you feel comfortable on both forehand and backhand groundstrokes.
The Ultra is also a stiffer racquet which adds to the pace. It will help you increase power on your serves as well.
The Wilson Ultra will also add spin to your ball because of the open (16×19) string pattern. Because the racquet is light, you’ll be able to generate plenty of racquet head speed, further adding to the spin potential.
This makes the Ultra a great tennis racquet for intermediate players who are learning to hit with more topspin. It’s also great for people who like to play from the baseline and hit big forehands or backhands.
The Ultra 100 is Great for Serves & Groundstrokes
The Ultra 100 performs well on both groundstrokes and serves.
- On groundstrokes, the Ultra is easy to swing, and explosive on contact. The 100 version offers great spin as well.
- On volleys, the racquet lacks stability making it hard to play at the net. It can also feel unstable defending against fast paced groundstrokes.
- On returns, the Ultra 100 will generate good power to attack second serves. Defending against big servers will be a bit more difficult.
- On serves, this racquet performs best. It will maximize your power and spin so you can hit flat, slice, or kick serves with ease.
Overall, the Ultra is great for players who like to stay at the baseline and want to add power and spin to their shots.
Reviewing Other Versions of the Wilson Ultra
The other versions of the Ultra are better for players of a lower skill level.
| Ultra 100L v4 | Ultra 100UL v4 | Ultra 108 v4 |
|---|---|---|
| A lighter version of the Ultra, at 10.4 oz. strung. | The lightest version at only 9.7 oz. strung. | For beginners only. |
| Better for beginners or junior players who are still developing their skills. | This is a beginner tennis racquet for people who need something very light. | For players who aren’t as physically strong or don’t play a lot of sports. |
| Intermediate adults who prefer a lighter racquet can use this version as well. | Most beginner adults should use the 100 or the 100L. | It has a 108 square-inch head size which makes it very forgiving for people who are new to tennis. |
| Buy the Ultra 100L v4 on Tennis Warehouse | Buy the Ultra 100UL v4 on Tennis Warehouse | Buy the Ultra 108 v4 on Tennis Warehouse |
Stop paying full price for tennis gear! Get deals on shoes, racquets & more up to 70% off.
The Best Alternatives to the Wilson Ultra
Below are several tennis racquets similar to the Wilson Ultra.
- Head Extreme – Another power-oriented racquet, the Head Extreme has a higher level of comfort and better feel than the Ultra.
- Babolat Pure Drive – This racquet offers more control and better comfort than the Ultra, but still has a powerful frame.
- Babolat Pure Aero – A more spin-friendly alternative to the Ultra, this racquet is a popular choice among players with big heavy groundstrokes.
- Dunlop FX 500 – A slightly more stable racquet that is a little less powerful when compared to the Ultra.
My Experience Playing with the Wilson Ultra
I played with the Wilson Ultra 100 v3 several times over the course of a few weeks.
The racquet is very easy to swing. I felt like I could effortlessly hit the ball deep in the court with decent topspin. However, when I made contact with the ball slightly off-center the racquet felt unstable to me. My backhand is weaker and it did miss long sometimes when I didn’t make clean contact, especially defending against faster pace.
When serving, the Wilson Ultra made it easy to create spin. I was able to hit great kick serves and slice serves. Because it is so light though, I felt my accuracy was a bit off.
On returns and volleys, the Ultra lacked the stability I need against hard hit balls. For beginner and lower level intermediate players, this shouldn’t be a problem though.
I actually prefer the Head Extreme tennis racquet over the Ultra. It had better feel and control for me, while still providing excellent power.
When I did make good contact with volleys, I was able to hit with decent control and depth. However, if you play with advanced (USTA 4.5+) players who hit the ball harder, you might have trouble controlling your volleys.
After testing and reviewing the Wilson Ultra, I think it’s a great racquet for beginner to intermediate players who like to play from the baseline. The racquet can help singles players control the point with power, depth, and spin.
Wilson Ultra Video Review
In the video below, I review the 4 versions of the Wilson Ultra racquet.
Why is the Wilson ultra minions frame different than the regular Wilson Ultra. Actually I like the minions frame better just don’t care for the minions.
Hi Michael, which minions frame are you talking about?
There are many Ultra versions: Pro, non Pro, and Tour. None of them are alike except for the paint color. The ones used by many pro players are other racquets that are painted to look like the Ultra. But the Tour 95 or 100 version 16×20 is the most popular with the pro players. However, it is not available in the US.
Hi Jc,
yes, the pros often use different racquets that aren’t available to the general public. For this review, we tried to focus on just the versions available to club-level tennis players 🙂