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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 All 5 Diadem Tennis Racquets
The Nova series comes in three models while the Elevate racquets have two variations. These are in order from beginner to advanced, based on our recommendation.
| Nova Lite | The lightest racquet in the series, great for beginners or intermediate players who need something mobile & easy to swing. |
| Nova | The original Nova has excellent power from the baseline while maintaining good spin and control for such a powerful racquet. Great for all skill levels. |
| Nova + | The Nova + is slightly heavier and a half inch longer than the Nova. The added leverage can help you create even more power on your serve and groundstrokes. Good for intermediate or advanced players. |
| Elevate | A slightly heavier and more stable version of the Elevate. This was my favorite racquet in the series for its stability on fast paced returns and volleys. Great for advanced players. |
| Elevate Tour | A slightly heavier and more stable version of the Elevate. This was my favorite racquet in the series for its stability on fast paced returns and volleys. Great for advanced players. |
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
The Diadem Nova tennis racquets were designed to help a player generate easy power. After playing with all three versions of the Nova racquet, that is exactly what they do.
The Nova racquets can help create depth on your groundstrokes from the baseline. All three models were easy to swing and felt very comfortable on contact.
But the best part of the Nova racquets was the surprising control and feel. For such a powerful racquet, I felt very in control of my groundstrokes.
I personally preferred the Nova + because I like a heavier racquet. The extended reach also helped me add power to my serve which was a great bonus.
The area that the Nova was lacking is on returns and volleys. Any shots slightly off the sweet spot threw the stability off and did not land in the court. However, I played a fast paced match against NTRP 4.5 & 5.0 players. For beginner to intermediate players, this won’t be an issue.
Diadem Nova Specifications
Here are the specs for the Diadem Nova tennis racquet.
- Weight: 10.5 oz. unstrung
- Head Size: 100 square inches
- Length: 27 inches
- Balance: 320 mm
- String Pattern: 16 x 19
The Nova Lite is 10.0 oz. unstrung with a balance of 325 mm.
The Nova + is 10.8 oz. unstrung with a balance of 335mm and is 27.5 inches in length.
Is the Diadem Nova Tennis Racquet Right for You?
For beginners who are serious about tennis and want to improve their skills, the Nova Lite and Nova are both excellent beginner tennis racquets.
Intermediate and advanced singles players who like to rally from the baseline and want easy access to power will like the Nova or Nova +. They will help you generate a great combination of pace, spin, and depth.
If you’re an NTRP 4.5+ level player or play mostly doubles and like to serve and volley, then I’d recommend the Elevate tennis racquet instead.
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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.