RS Sports Rialto Pro
About the RS Sports Rialto Pro
The Rialto Pro carries a classic teardrop head with medium balance, a shape and weighting built for control rather than outright power, but with a soft EVA core that still returns the ball with some pace. RS Sports pairs that core with a 3K aluminized carbon face, and describes the design as aimed at reducing the effect of off-centre hits and spreading the usable striking area, which supports the racket's all-round, advanced-level positioning rather than a purely defensive one.
Within the Rialto range it sits as the standard model. The Rialto Pro Caye, developed with professional player Cayetano Rocafort, shares almost the same teardrop shape, medium balance and soft EVA core, so the difference between the two is less about how each plays and more about the collaboration and finish behind the Caye edition. The Rialto Pro Light is the clearer departure: a lower-balance, control-first build in the same family, aimed at a player who wants a lighter swing weight or is managing arm or shoulder strain.
Because its core and hardness are already soft rather than firm, the Rialto Pro reads as a controlled racket that still has some directness in it, suiting an advanced player who wants to dictate rallies rather than a beginner still learning to control the ball. A player who wants a firmer, more attacking racket is better served elsewhere in the RS Sports catalogue; a player who wants a lighter, more control-first racket in the same family should look at the Rialto Pro Light.
Questions about the RS Sports Rialto Pro
What is the Rialto Pro's core, and how does it play?
A soft EVA core, set behind a 3K aluminized carbon face. EVA is a dense, closed-cell foam that holds its firmness over years of play; the soft grade used here cushions contact more than a medium or hard EVA would, giving the Rialto Pro a controlled, slightly forgiving feel despite its carbon face and advanced-level positioning.
Who should be looking at the Rialto Pro?
An advanced player who wants an all-round, control-leaning racket rather than a specialist power build. The teardrop shape and medium balance keep the head manageable through fast exchanges, and the soft core favours placement over raw pace.
What is the difference between the Rialto Pro and the Rialto Pro Caye?
Very little in how they play. Both use a teardrop shape, medium balance and soft EVA core behind a carbon face, so the meaningful difference is that the Caye edition was developed with professional player Cayetano Rocafort rather than being a distinct playing profile. A buyer choosing between them is choosing the collaboration edition, not a different racket character.
How does the Rialto Pro compare with the Rialto Pro Light?
The Light is the lighter, more control-first sibling: it drops to a low balance against the Rialto Pro's medium, shifting the sweet spot lower and making the head easier to move quickly. Someone who finds the standard Rialto Pro slightly head-heavy, or who is managing arm or shoulder strain, is the player the Light edition is built for.
Is the Rialto Pro suitable for a beginner?
No. It is built and marketed for advanced players, and its soft EVA core, while forgiving relative to a firmer racket, still assumes the technique to place the ball rather than simply make contact. A newer player is better served by a genuinely entry-level racket.
Is the Rialto Pro a control racket or a power racket?
All-round with a lean toward control. Its soft EVA core cushions contact more than a firm racket would, and its medium balance keeps the head from being weighted purely for power, but it is not a dedicated defensive or control-only build either.
Similar rackets from other brands
Matched on shape first, then the rest of the spec sheet — same playing character, different maker.
