Diadem is an American tennis racket manufacturer that has recently released the V3 of their popular Elevate 98 Tour racket, which has similar specs to another popular racket, the Wilson Blade 98.
In this article, I will look at the specs of these two rackets to see how they compare to each other.
Rackets Specs Comparison – Elevate 98 Tour vs Blade 98
Main Differences: The Blade 98 has a lower strung weight (11.3oz vs 11.6oz), a slightly lower swing weight (317 vs 320), a lower frame stiffness rating (61 vs 67), a thinner beam width (21mm vs 21.5mm), and one less cross string (16 x 19 vs 16 x 20).
Similarities: Both rackets have the same head size (98in), racket length (27in), and balance (5 pts HL).
| Specs: | Elevate 98 | Blade 98 16×19 |
|---|---|---|
| Version: | V3 | V8 |
| Design: |  |  |
| Head Size: | 98in | 98in |
| Length: | 27in | 27in |
| Strung Weight: | 330g (11.6oz) | 320g (11.3oz) |
| Unstrung Weight: | 315g (11.1oz) | 305g (10.76oz) |
| Swing weight: | 320 | 317 |
| Strung Balance: | 5 pts HL | 5 pts HL |
| Stiffness Rating: | 67 | 61 |
| Power: | Low | Low |
| Player Level: | Advanced | Advanced |
| Beam Width: | 21.5mm | 21.0mm |
| Colors: | Blue and Black | Green |
| String Pattern: | 16 x 20 | 16 x 19 |
| Main Skips: | 7T, 9T, 10T, 7H, 9H | 8T,8H |
| Grip Type: | Diadem Vintage Feel Hybrid | Wilson Pro Performance |
Head to Head
The Blade 98 is the better option in terms of control, and comfort as it has a thinner beam width and a lower frame stiffness rating, with the Elevate 98 being the better option in terms of power and spin as it has a thicker beam width and a more open string pattern.
| H2H | Elevate 98 | Blade 98 |
|---|---|---|
| Power |  | – |
| Control | – |  |
| Spin | | – |
| Arm Friendliness | – | |
Player Level Recommendations
Both rackets are best used by advanced tennis players, as neither is very forgiving as you will need to be able to consistently hit the ball in the sweet spot of the rackets, in order to get the most out of them.
I wouldn’t recommend these rackets to beginners or intermediate, as I think there are a lot of better options out there, that have bigger sweet spots and are more forgiving.
| Player Level | Elevate 98 | Blade 98 |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner |  | |
| Intermediate | | |
| Advanced |  | |
Pro Player Endorsements
The Blade 98 (16×19) is endorsed by Alex de Minaur, Amanda Anisimova, Beatrix Haddad Maia, Paula Badosa, and Veronika Kudermetova, while to the best of my knowledge, the Elevate 98 is not currently endorsed by any pro tennis players.
Where can you buy these tennis rackets?
The rackets are for sale in most good online tennis shops and on the official Diadem and Wilson websites.