Yonex EZONE 98 2024.

The Gavler Review.

Yonex EZONE 98 2024 Review: The Comfort Pick That Trades Away Free Power

Ranked 4th on Gavler's Best Tennis Rackets list with a 9.2 score, the Yonex EZONE 98 2024 is the racquet for intermediate-to-advanced players who want comfort and a forgiving sweet spot without giving up real control. Its isometric hoop and flexible 2G-NAMD Speed graphite produce a plush, arm-friendly response — Perfect Tennis called comfort "the best feature" of the frame — but that same flex layup gives something back. Tennis Warehouse's playtesters summarized the trade cleanly: "The result was better maneuverability and more control, but not quite as much free power." If you want a racquet that rewards long rallies and easy topspin over raw plow-through, that trade-off is the right one. If you're chasing free pace, it isn't.

What it is

The EZONE 98 is Yonex's answer to a tennis-racquet market that has increasingly chased spin and stiffness. Where rivals like the Babolat Pure Aero lean into aggressive frame geometry for racquet-head speed, the EZONE line has always prioritized a rounded, ISOMETRIC head shape that Yonex says creates roughly 7% more usable sweet spot than a conventional oval frame of the same size. The 2024 refresh pairs that hoop with a graphite-and-2G-NAMD Flex Force layup — a flexible composite that loads on contact and snaps back for pace, rather than relying on stiffness to generate power.

At 305g unstrung (323g strung) with a 16x19 string pattern and a 65 RA stiffness rating, the EZONE 98 sits in classic "player's-lite" territory: light enough to swing all day, flexible enough to be comfortable, open enough in the string bed to make topspin accessible. The 2024 version keeps the formula largely intact from the outgoing model but dials in a bit more control at a modest cost to outright power — a change Tennis Warehouse Europe's four-person playtest panel picked up on immediately in their July 2024 review.

In use

Tennis Warehouse Europe's panel — four playtesters ranging from a 4.5 all-court player to a 5.0 lefty using a Yonex VCORE PRO 97D — put the 2024 EZONE 98 through serves, groundstrokes, returns, and net play, and the consensus was remarkably consistent. Chris, a 4.5 full-western forehand player, summed it up simply: "Super easy to use, tons of control, lots of feel, maneuverable and comfortable." Michelle, an open-level baseliner who normally plays a Wilson Pro Staff RF 97 Autograph, went further on the tactile experience: "The EZONE 98 has loads of feel and is plush on contact, with lots of dwell time. Controllable power." She also drew a telling comparison to a more powerful stablemate in the same head size: "This Yonex EZONE 98 automatically makes me think of a Babolat Pure Drive or a Pure Drive VS because of the 98-square-inch head. But I have to admit, the feel of this EZONE 98 is much softer and more comfortable... It is arm friendly, plush and comfortable, while still offering a great blend of controllable power and spin."

That comfort has a cost, and testers were candid about it. Chris's one dislike: "I'd bring the swingweight of the EZONE 98 up about 5 points for a little more plow through." Sage, a 4.5 lefty, framed the update the same way when comparing it to the previous generation: "Compared to the previous version, this updated EZONE 98 is slightly less powerful, but has greater control." On Gavler's own verified testing notes, Tennisnerd's Jonas Eriksson — reviewing the same platform — flagged the same limitation in a different location on the court: "It doesn't have the best feel on touch shots and volleys, where I feel it's a little too muted perhaps, but there is no issue with the stability despite the friendly swing weight." Slice and touch shots, in other words, are where this racquet asks the most from the player rather than giving it away for free.

Strengths

• Comfort at the top of the category. RA 65 is on the flexible end for a 98-square-inch frame, and every tester — from Tennis Warehouse Europe's four playtesters to Perfect Tennis to Tennisnerd — independently landed on comfort as the standout trait. Tennis Warehouse Europe's testers scored comfort 8.4–8.6 out of 10 across the board, the most consistent category in their scorecards.
• Easy topspin without sacrificing slice. The 16x19 pattern gives "easy access to topspin while still allowing me to keep my backhand slice low and effective," per Tennis Warehouse's US playtest team — a combination that's harder to find than it sounds in a control-leaning frame.
• Stability despite a friendly swingweight. At a swingweight of 318, the EZONE 98 stays composed at net; Mark, TWE's 5.0 tester, praised "the slight increase in beam width" for making the frame "even more stable and predictable, while still maintaining a 'speed-oriented' average swingweight."
• Return-of-serve maneuverability. Mark called the EZONE 98 a "Goldilocks racquet" on returns — heavy enough to be stable, light enough to take an offensive cut at the ball.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

The honest read across every review is the same: this is a control-and-comfort racquet, not a power racquet, and the 2024 refresh leans slightly further into that identity than the model it replaces. Testers across two separate Tennis Warehouse panels (US and Europe) independently wished for a touch more swingweight and plow-through. Sage's playtest notes on returning big first serves were the most pointed: "Blocking the ball back into play wasn't as consistent as I wanted. The ball had a tendency to pop up without enough depth to keep me in the point." And on touch shots specifically — half-volleys, drop shots, delicate net play — multiple reviewers flagged the same muted response.

If you're an aggressive baseliner who wants a racquet to generate pace for you, or a serve-and-volley player who lives at net and wants maximum feedback on delicate shots, the EZONE 98 will feel like it's holding something back. It's built for players who already generate their own racquet-head speed and want the frame to add control, comfort, and spin access on top of that — not players looking for a crutch.

How it compares

Within Gavler's Best Tennis Rackets list, the EZONE 98's closest sibling is the Wilson Blade 98 v9, ranked 5th. The two frames share nearly identical bones — 305g unstrung, 16x19 pattern, similar swingweight — but diverge in character: the Blade's FeelFlex throat gives a more connected, control-first feel with better net clearance from its launch angle, while the EZONE 98 stays plusher and more forgiving through the stroke. Testers on the Blade also noted it "made the racquet feel a little more muted" on touch volleys after its v9 update — so neither frame solves the touch-shot trade-off; they just make different compromises to get there.

The other natural comparison is the HEAD Speed Pro 2024, ranked 3rd and built for a different type of player entirely. Its 18x20 pattern and Auxetic 2.0 construction favor flat, full-swing hitters who paint lines rather than load up on spin — TENNIS.com called it "a clean, comfortable and highly repeatable ball with an attractive blend of power, spin and control," but noted heavy topspin "takes a concerted effort." If you're deciding between the two, the EZONE 98 is the easier racquet to generate spin with; the Speed Pro rewards players who already swing flat and full through the ball.

The Gavler verdict

At a 9.2 score and rank 4 on Gavler's Best Tennis Rackets list, the Yonex EZONE 98 2024 earns its spot as the comfort-first pick in a field of stiffer, spin-hungry frames. Across two independent Tennis Warehouse playtest panels and Tennisnerd, the verdict is unanimous: this is one of the most arm-friendly, forgiving 98-square-inch racquets you can buy at $249, and the control gains in the 2024 refresh are real. The catch is equally consistent — less free power than the outgoing model, and a muted response on touch shots and volleys. For intermediate-to-advanced players who value comfort and easy topspin over raw pace, that's an easy trade to make. For heavy hitters and touch specialists, it's worth demoing the Blade 98 v9 or Speed Pro 2024 first.

Common Questions

Is the Yonex EZONE 98 2024 worth it in 2026?

Yes, if comfort and a forgiving sweet spot matter more to you than raw power. Tennis Warehouse's testers found 'better maneuverability and more control, but not quite as much free power' compared to the outgoing model, and at $249 it remains one of the most arm-friendly 98-square-inch frames on the market.

Who should skip the EZONE 98 2024?

Heavy hitters who rely on the racquet for plow-through pace, and net players who want a crisper, more connected feel on touch shots. Tennisnerd's Jonas Eriksson called it 'a little too muted perhaps' on volleys and drop shots, and Tennis Warehouse Europe testers wanted more swingweight for extra plow-through.

Yonex EZONE 98 2024 vs Wilson Blade 98 v9 — which should I buy?

Pick the EZONE 98 for a plusher, more forgiving feel with easier access to topspin; pick the Blade 98 v9 if you want a more connected, control-first response with better net clearance from its 16x19 pattern. Both share nearly identical specs (305g unstrung, 16x19, similar swingweight), so the decision comes down to whether you prioritize comfort or feel.