Y1 RX18 Padel Racket (2026)

Y1 makes two 18K rackets. The AX18 is the diamond; the RX18 takes the same weave of face and puts it on the teardrop RX mould. A teardrop sits its sweet spot a little lower and wider than a diamond, so off-centre hits are punished less while the head still carries enough weight to finish overheads.

Under the face the two differ. The AX18 uses Y1's EV50 ProFoam core; the RX18 uses PrecisionTech EVA, which the listing describes as a firmer core and labels 13-15. Padel Shack also lists the RX18's frame as 100% carbon, where the AX18's spec field reads 30% carbon and 70% fibreglass, a figure we suspect is a listing error.

Aluminised carbon has a thin metallic coating bonded to the weave, which stiffens the surface. Y1 lays the RX18's fibres at 45 degrees and calls the result ultra-stiff, though no one publishes a stiffness figure we could check. In practice a stiffer face sends the ball off quicker and more directly when you hit it well, and gives back less when you don't.

The face carries Y1's two surface treatments, Texture Control and a 3D Control Face, both there to grip the ball for spin. The frame is a double tube, the hole pattern is Y1's OptiFlow, and the grip is perforated. Weight is listed at 355 to 375g, 365g nominal.

As with the rest of Y1's range on Padel Shack, the spec field says head-heavy and the description says a mid-high balance point. Both point the same way, towards the tip, so expect a racket that helps on the smash and asks a bit more of your wrist at the net than an even-balanced racket such as Y1's round CX12.

Advanced club and league players with a fast, clean swing who play an attacking game but don't want to give up the margin a teardrop offers. It belongs with our teardrop padel rackets and the advanced padel rackets. As with every Y1 we've written up, no independent test exists yet, so the performance claims are Y1's own.

The gold RX22P sits above the RX18 as Y1's flagship teardrop. Fit a padel racket protector before the first session; the white frame shows every scuff. A fresh overgrip from our padel grip range lets you hold a firm racket more loosely, which your elbow will thank you for.

Bring fresh padel balls to make the most of the textured face, a padel bag with a thermal pocket for the carbon, and proper padel shoes for the turf. Y1's racket cover fits, and our guide on how to choose a padel racket covers stiffness and balance in more detail.