How to Choose a Tennis Racket for a 5–9 Year Old (2026)
A quick, no-BS guide to picking the right kids tennis racket by age and height. What size, what weight, what to skip.
Kid rackets are sized by length in inches. Get this right and lessons are fun. Get it wrong and your kid struggles with technique for weeks.
By age
Age 5-6: 21-inch racket.
Age 7-8: 23-inch racket.
Age 9: 25-inch racket.
These are guidelines — a tall 6-year-old can go up to 23, a small 9-year-old might stay at 23.
By height (more accurate)
Under 45 inches: 21-inch.
45-50 inches: 23-inch.
50-55 inches: 25-inch.
Over 55 inches: 26-inch or adult junior.
Have your kid stand with the racket next to them — the head should be about level with their wrist.
What brand?
Head, Wilson and Babolat all make good kids rackets in the $30-60 range. Skip the $15 discount-store rackets — the strings are usually too tight and the grips are too big for small hands.
What we hand out at the clinic
Every kid gets a proper foam or low-compression ball to start. If your kid doesn't have a racket yet, come to the first session anyway — we always have loaners.