Babolat PP01 Prototype: Everything We Know About the Mysterious 18×18 Racket

Updated 26 August 2026.

If you have been searching for the new Babolat racket for 2027, the Babolat PP01, or the rumored Babolat Pure Pulse / Pro Pulse, you have probably seen the same blacked-out prototype appearing in recent tennis photos.

There is now enough evidence to discuss the frame seriously — but not enough to give it a final retail identity.

The important distinction: PP01 is a documented prototype code. We do not currently have reliable confirmation that “Pure Pulse” is the final product name, that PP01 belongs to the Pure Drive, Pure Aero or Pure Strike family, or that it will launch as a 2027 retail racket.

This article separates what is documented from what is still speculation and will be updated as better information becomes available.

What is the Babolat PP01?

The Babolat PP01 is a blacked-out prototype frame that has been seen in real on-court testing. The clearest clue is the PP01 designation visible on the prototype itself.

Tennis Rackets Europe first covered the frame as a mystery sighting in Québec, before following with a closer look once the PP01 code and documented prototype details became clearer.

You can see the latest on-court close-up in our Babolat PP01 Instagram carousel.

There is also a live, password-gated website at PP01Project.com. The existence of that page is interesting, but the page alone does not establish a final retail name, launch date or product family, so we are not treating it as a confirmed retail launch page.

Babolat PP01 specs: what has been documented so far

The following values have been documented on a PP01 prototype specimen. They should be treated as prototype values, not guaranteed final retail specifications.

Specification	Babolat PP01 prototype	Status
Head size	100 in² / 645 cm²	Documented prototype value
Weight	300 g unstrung	Documented prototype value
Balance	310 mm unstrung	Documented prototype value
Length	27 in / 685 mm	Documented prototype value
String pattern	18×18	Documented prototype value
Beam	Unknown	Not confirmed
Stiffness / RA	Unknown	Not confirmed
Swingweight	Unknown	Not confirmed
Twistweight	Unknown	Not confirmed
Final retail name	Unknown	Not confirmed
Release date	Unknown	Not confirmed

Why the 18×18 string pattern is the biggest technical clue

A 100 in², 300 g Babolat is not unusual by itself. The 18×18 string pattern is.

For context, Babolat's current 100 in² / 300 g Pure Drive Gen11, Pure Aero Gen9 and Pure Strike 100 Gen4 use 16×19 patterns.

That makes PP01's 18 mains and 18 crosses a genuine departure from the familiar 100/300 formula.

But string-count alone does not tell us whether the racket will automatically produce more control, less spin or a lower launch angle. Actual string spacing, hoop geometry, grommet layout, beam design, layup and stiffness all affect how a stringbed responds.

Until a PP01 is measured and tested, the correct conclusion is simply that 18×18 is unusual and technically significant — not that its performance is already known.

The hoop shape may be just as important as the pattern

The PP01 silhouette does not look like a simple blackout version of the most familiar Babolat shapes.

In the available close-ups, the frame appears to show:

• flatter sections around the sides of the hoop;
• a wider, squarer-looking upper hoop;
• an unusual overall throat-and-hoop relationship compared with current Babolat retail silhouettes.

Those are visual observations, not performance claims. We are not using the shape alone to claim a larger sweet spot, a particular stiffness, more stability or a specific launch profile.

Is the Babolat PP01 the new Pure Pulse or Pro Pulse?

Not confirmed.

“Babolat Pure Pulse” and “Babolat Pro Pulse” are search terms currently being associated with discussion around the mysterious new frame, but we have not found reliable confirmation that Pure Pulse is the official retail name of PP01.

That distinction matters. A prototype code can exist long before a final consumer name is decided, and development frames do not always map cleanly to the product families people expect.

If Babolat later confirms Pure Pulse as the name, this article will be updated. Until then, we will use PP01 prototype as the factual description.

Is PP01 Babolat's new 2027 racket?

Possibly — but there is no confirmed 2027 launch timing yet.

If you arrived here after searching “new Babolat racket 2027”, “Babolat 2027 racket” or “Babolat PP01 2027”, PP01 is one of the most interesting current development frames to watch. What we cannot responsibly say yet is that the frame will definitely launch in 2027, or that the prototype values above will become final retail specifications.

Development testing can precede retail release by months, change direction, or remain a test platform rather than becoming a one-to-one production model.

Is PP01 a new Pure Drive, Pure Aero or Pure Strike?

There is currently no reliable confirmation that PP01 belongs to any of those three families.

The 100 in² / 300 g specification naturally invites comparisons because Babolat already uses that basic format in the Pure Drive, Pure Aero and Pure Strike ranges. The 18×18 drilling and different-looking geometry are exactly why forcing PP01 into one of those families too early would be misleading.

For now, the cleanest possibilities remain open:

• a development platform for an existing Babolat family;
• a future model within an existing line;
• a genuinely new product family;
• or a test frame that changes substantially before any retail release.

PP01 has already moved beyond a test-room sighting

One reason the story is getting more interesting is that the prototype has been photographed in an actual on-court environment rather than only in isolated product or stringing images.

That gives us better visual evidence of the frame, but it still does not tell us the exact player specification, how long the test has been running, or whether the tester is using a long-term switch rather than a temporary development sample.

We are deliberately keeping player identity and setup claims separate from what can be verified from the racket itself.

What we still want to measure

The next useful PP01 information is not another rumor about the name. It is measured data.

• RA / stiffness: to understand the actual flex profile rather than infer it from photographs.
• Beam dimensions: to position the frame more clearly against existing Babolat families.
• Swingweight: to understand how substantial the 300 g platform is through the air.
• Twistweight: to quantify torsional stability.
• Strung dimensions: to see how the hoop behaves under a completed string job.
• String spacing: to understand what the 18×18 pattern actually looks like across the hitting area.
• Layup and construction: if Babolat eventually publishes the technology story.

Babolat PP01 FAQ

What does PP01 mean?

PP01 is the prototype designation documented on the frame. We do not currently have a verified public explanation of what each letter or number stands for.

Is Babolat PP01 the Pure Pulse?

No official confirmation has been established. “Pure Pulse” / “Pro Pulse” should currently be treated as unconfirmed names associated with online searches and speculation, not the confirmed product name.

What is the Babolat PP01 string pattern?

The documented PP01 prototype uses an unusual 18×18 string pattern.

What is the Babolat PP01 head size and weight?

The documented specimen is 100 in² / 645 cm² and 300 g unstrung, with a 310 mm unstrung balance and standard 27-inch / 685 mm length.

Will Babolat release PP01 in 2027?

There is no confirmed retail launch date. It is reasonable to monitor PP01 when looking for future or 2027 Babolat racket news, but a 2027 release should not be presented as confirmed.

Is PP01 a new Pure Strike?

Not confirmed. It is also not confirmed as a Pure Drive, Pure Aero or entirely new family.

What is PP01Project.com?

PP01Project.com is currently a live password-gated page carrying the PP01 Project name. We have not independently established from the page alone that it is a public Babolat retail launch page, so its existence should be treated as a clue rather than proof of final branding or timing.

Our current read

The PP01 is interesting because the evidence is becoming more concrete while the bigger product story remains unresolved.

We have a documented prototype code, a 100 in² / 300 g platform, a 310 mm balance, an 18×18 stringbed and a visibly different shape. What we do not have is the part that matters for a retail buying decision: final name, final layup, beam, RA, swingweight, price, launch date or confirmed product-family placement.

That is why TRE will keep this as a living article rather than filling the gaps with assumptions.

For current retail Babolat frames, you can browse the Babolat collection at Tennis Rackets Europe. For context on why a prototype or tour frame should not automatically be treated as the same thing as a retail racket, read our Pro Stock vs Retail tennis rackets guide.

Want the next PP01 update? Follow @tennisracketseu. We will update this page when new measurements, official naming or release information can be verified.

Update log

26 August 2026: Added the latest on-court PP01 close-up, documented prototype specifications, 18×18 context, PP01Project.com status and clear answers for the current “Pure Pulse” and “Babolat 2027 racket” search terms. Pure Pulse, final retail family and release timing remain unconfirmed.

Image credits: @notyourcountryclub and @challengerquebec (Challenger Banque Nationale de Québec).