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Diadem is a young brand in the tennis racquet industry that is becoming increasingly popular.
I recently tested all five Diadem tennis racquets, and my review of each is below. Diadem racquets feature two different lines.
Diadem Nova racquets help increase power on your shots.
Diadem Elevate racquets are geared towards control.
Each line has a few different variations that I will explain below.
This review will help you decide if Diadem racquets are right for you and help you choose the best tennis racquet for your game.
Diadem Nova and Elevate Video Review
In the video below, I review 5 versions of the Nova and Elevate racquets.
Diadem Racquets are Great for Tennis Players of Any Skill Level
Although Diadem’s racquets aren’t as popular as Babolat racquets or other major brands, it is not for lack of quality.
Both the Diadem Nova and Elevate series play as good as, or better than many of the major brands you’ll find.
Diadem highlights three technologies that add a combination of power, stability, feel, and comfort to their racquets.
- Flex Stabilization System
- Impact Shield
- HTM Carbon
You can read more about the technology behind Diadem racquets on the Diadem website.
Below, I will review Diadem racquets’ on-court performance to help you decide which Diadem racquet is right for you. They have five adult tennis racquets for all skill levels and playing styles.
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An Overview of Diadem Tennis Racquets
The Nova series comes in five models while the Elevate racquets have three variations.
| Summary & Skill Level | Racquet |
|---|---|
| Best Diadem Racquet for Power Low-Level Intermediate to Advanced | Diadem Nova Jump to Review |
| Best Diadem Racquet for Control Intermediate to Advanced | Diadem Elevate Jump to Review |
The Diadem Nova racquets are great for beginner to intermediate level players who typically need help generating power on their shots.
I personally found the Diadem Elevate racquet to be one of the best I’ve played with in terms of control, feel, and stability.
Keep in mind that the type of string and string tension you use will also affect the control, feel, power, and general performance of your racquet. See our list of the best tennis strings for recommendations.
Diadem Nova Review: A Powerful, But Well-Balanced Racquet
I first discovered Diadem through their string, Solstice Power, a unique star-shaped polyester with incredible spin potential and a surprisingly soft and powerful feel (for a poly). When they first released the Nova back in 2017, I was excited to try it out paired with that unique string, and I thought they paired very well together, maximizing power and spin. They have continued to improve upon the original Nova design with the new V3 racquets.
Diadem Nova V3 100 Specifications
Here are the specs for the Diadem Nova V3 100 tennis racquet.
- Weight: 10.6 oz. unstrung
- Head Size: 100 square inches
- Length: 27 inches
- Balance: 320 mm
- String Pattern: 16 x 19
True to its marketing, this racquet packs quite the punch with a very powerful and spin-friendly response. What really impressed me, however, was the comfort. While I find many similar racquets to be jarring to the arm, the Nova V3 100 was surprisingly comfortable from the very first swing.
From the baseline this racquet is a rocket launcher, providing tons of power, but also enough spin to help keep the ball in court. It was very maneuverable and easy to swing as well, making it very fun to just pick up and start rallying from the baseline.
The maneuverability also came in handy at the net, where I was able to quickly get my racquet in place for even the fastest reaction volleys. However, this racquet does suffer from lack of feel. While I was able to get my racquet in place, my touch volleys suffered and many of my normal volleys sailed long while I struggled to dial in at the net.
At the net and on return of serve I also noticed this racquet was not very stable. If I hit the sweet spot it felt great, but if I was just a little off-center, especially with bigger hitters, I lost control very fast.
Serving with this racquet was solid when I was going for spin serves, but I felt like I needed a little extra mass to increase the speed and effectiveness of my serves.
Overall, I’d recommend the Diadem V3 Nova for junior players or anyone looking for a light racquet that’s easy to swing and offers plenty of power and spin.
Other Sellers: Amazon.com
Other Versions of the Diadem Nova
Diadem has expanded their lineup from their original 3 different offerings to now offer the Standard Nova V3 100 plus 4 additional models.
| Nova V3 Tour | Nova V3 + | Nova V3 Team | Nova V3 Lite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavier 11.1 ounce frame and more head light. | Longer 27.5-inch extended length. | Lighter 10.0 ounce frame. | Even Lighter 9.5 ounce weight. |
| Increased stability and mass-based power. | Greater power while sacrificing maneuverability. | Easier to swing while maintaining a head light balance. | The easiest Nova to swing. |
| Great for intermediate and advanced players wanting extra stability against big hitters. | Suitable for players with smooth strokes that want the added leverage from extended racquets. | Great for intermediate players and younger players still building confidence in their swings. | Perfect for beginners and juniors looking for their first racquet with a 100 inch head size. |
| Buy the Nova V3 Tour on Diadem Sports | Buy the Nova V3 + on Diadem Sports | Buy the Nova V3 Team on Diadem Sports | Buy the Nova V3 Lite on Diadem Sports |
3 Steps to Find the Perfect Tennis Racquet for Your Game
Free checklist with 27 racquet recommendations
Diadem Elevate Review: An Excellent Racquet for Control & Feel
The Elevate series was my personal favorite of the two, because I play a fast paced game and do like to approach the net.
Both Elevate tennis racquets are made to help you move the ball around the court with precision and spin. Their 98 square inch frames make them intermediate to advanced tennis racquets.
I particularly liked the Elevate racquets on returns and volleys. I was able to step in on returns and still control the ball even against big serves. The feel I had on my volleys was as good as any tennis racquet I’ve ever played with. I was able to easily hit touch, drop volleys and deep directional volleys.
The drawback of this excellent control and feel is in its power. I preferred the Elevate Tour because the added weight helped increase stability and power on my serve. However, it was not as easy to hit with depth from the baseline on my groundstrokes as the Nova racquets.
Diadem Elevate Specifications
Here are the specs for the Diadem Elevate 98 tennis racquet.
- Weight: 10.8 oz. unstrung
- Head Size: 98 square inches
- Length: 27 inches
- Balance: 320 mm
- String Pattern: 16 x 20
The Elevate Tour is 11.1 oz. unstrung with a balance of 315mm.
Is the Diadem Elevate Tennis Racquet Right for You?
Advanced players who want a players’ racquet will get the most out of the Diadem Elevate racquets. If you have no trouble generating your own power and need a better control racquet, the Elevate is a great choice.
The Elevate 98 offers great control and spin, and is very easy to swing. As far as advanced, or even intermediate tennis racquets built for control, the Elevate 98 is one of the best.
The Elevate Tour is perfect for high-performance players who want a slightly heavier racquet. This racquet adds a bit more power to your shots and extra stability for a fast-paced game. This was my favorite of the five Diadem racquets.
I would not be surprised to see some professional tennis players begin to use the Elevate Tour in the years to come. Diadem tennis racquets should certainly be considered by serious players at any level of the game.
4.0 50 year old here with delusions of getting to 4.5. I currently play with a Head Radical 98 Microgel ($100 baby) and I try to hit with longer strokes. I recently tried to switch to new V8 Blade 98 because it felt great at first but over the course of a month or so I felt like it encouraged me to shorten my swings and swing faster (not necessarily bad but it isn’t where I want to go).
Anyway I’m intrigued by your $100 off on the Nova and wondering how you think it compares to Head Radical (I’ve sold the Blade 🤣). Thank you for your content!
Hi Bob, the Diadem Nova is going to offer a bit more power and spin than the Head Radical. Depending on which version of the head Radical you have, the Nova may be easier to maneuver as well. I’ll email you with the details 🙂
I find it intriguing that you review the complete line of Diadem rackets with no mention of string used or tension. Even stranger is the fact that in no Diadem racket specifications is the recommended tension given.
Hi Kenneth, good points and thanks for the suggestion. I’ve added a few sentences on strings with a link to our list of best strings and buyer’s guide.
When I tested the diadem racquets they all had Diadem strings. Either Solstice power or Elite XT.
Hi Will. I think you may have left out one of the really fabulous features of the Elevate–it is one of the arm friendliest racquets out there. The combination of dampening and foam filling just absorb shock like nothing else I have used. I loaned my gut strung Elevate to a friend who liked that so much that he wouldn’t give it back until he received one from Diadem and asked me to string it with gut mains and cross. He hasn’t used his other racquet since.
I find that in addition to the arm friendliness, it has really great control, decent spin, and doesn’t leave me sore the next day. I’m at really high altitude so I really value control and don’t need the power as much.
Great points Greg! Thanks for the contribution 🙂
I’m in Texas but imagine the Elevate racquet is a great fit for high altitudes.