Adidas Cross It Light 2026

Technologies

Pros

• ✓The Soft Energy EVA core and round shape give a wide, centred sweet spot that forgives off-centre contact — a real lifesaver on rushed wall exits At 345-360 g with a medium balance, the racket whips through reaction volleys and double-wall exchanges at real speed, letting you correct your hitting plane at the last split second without losing control The Aluminized Carbon 24K face responds crisp and lively: the ball snaps off the frame fast on the cut bandeja and on defensive blocks, with none of that rubbery, dead-feel response The sandy finish grips the ball well on the vibora and the sliced dejada, holding the spin without needing to accelerate the arm The Extra Power Grip lengthens the handle and shifts a touch more weight up top, offsetting some of the missing mass on flat smashes without ever making the racket feel sluggish

Cons

• ✗This isn't a racket for burying the ball from the back wall: at this weight and with a medium balance, the remate por 3 demands razor-sharp timing and a fast arm to generate pace The Soft Energy EVA is forgiving but also soaks up energy; players chasing a single-shot winning flat smash will hit its ceiling fairly quickly The round shape keeps the sweet spot in the geometric centre — comfortable, but it gives up the high-leverage free power a diamond shape offers As a competition-level racket, it demands genuine arm control; players who don't yet generate their own ball speed will find the racket gives them nothing for free

The Adidas Cross It Light 2026 is designed for competition or pro-level players who prioritise performance and precision over comfort. Its round shape concentrates the sweet spot in the center of the face, increasing tolerance and favouring control. The medium balance keeps a balanced behaviour between baseline shots and volleys. With a weight of 345-360g, it sits among the lighter rackets on the market: easier to swing and less stressful on the elbow.

Adidas Cross It Light 2026 Review: The Lightweight Round Padel Racket Behind Marta Ortega's Clean Game

The Adidas Cross It Light 2026 is the padel racket used by Marta Ortega, world No. 10 on the Premier Padel women's ranking in 2026, and its philosophy leaves no room for guesswork: round shape, 345-360 g, medium balance, an Aluminized Carbon 24K face and a Soft Energy EVA core.

This is a padel racket built around a single idea: the ball always comes back, and it comes back exactly where you want it.

Why Did Adidas Build a Round Racket at 345-360 Grams?

Chasing raw power from a light, round padel racket would fight against its own physics, so the Cross It Light 2026 doesn't even try.

The medium balance distributes mass so the frame never gets ahead of your wrist. Paired with the low weight, you get a racket that switches hitting planes faster than heavier frames can manage.

On court that translates into something very concrete: balls you'd only scrape back with a heavier racket, you now block with real direction.

Adidas Cross It Light 2026: Specs

Aluminized Carbon 24K Meets Soft Energy EVA: Two Materials Pulling in Opposite Directions

Here's what makes this racket interesting. The aluminized 24K carbon is dense, stiff, and gives back a crisp, lively response on contact. On its own it would make for a jumpy racket, almost uncomfortable on off-centre balls.

The Soft Energy EVA core acts as the counterweight. It's a foam that compresses just enough to keep the shock away from your elbow, stretching out that split-second of contact so you can steer the ball.

Add it together and you get a distinctive feel: short, clean contact at the centre, with more forgiveness than you'd expect from a pure 24K face. It's not a muted or overly cushioned racket — it gives you feedback without punishing you.

The Four Technologies, Translated Into On-Court Feel

1. **Dynamic Air Flow** — cuts air resistance through the frame. In practice you feel it in faster racket-head speed on the bandeja and in quick-fire volley exchanges at the net.
2. **Extra Power Grip** — a longer handle that shifts mass upward, clawing back some leverage on the smash without pushing the balance into diamond territory.
3. **11 Thirteen System** — structural reinforcement that keeps the upper hitting zone rigid, exactly where attacking balls land.
4. **Spin Blade Mold** — a mould designed for spin generation, working alongside the sandy finish on the vibora and the sliced dejada.

How Does the Cross It Light 2026 Perform Shot by Shot?

Wall exits. Its strongest suit. The ball comes off the face with its own pace thanks to the 24K carbon, so you don't need to throw your whole body into the shot to clear the net with depth.

Bandeja. Very comfortable. The low weight allows a late set-up, and the sandy finish bites into the ball on the slice, keeping the bounce low and tight to the back glass.

Vibora. It works, with caveats. The spin is there and the Spin Blade Mold helps, but the ball speed is on you — the racket won't multiply it.

Remate por 3 and flat smash. Its weak spot. At 345-360 g with a medium balance, there's no extra mass doing the work for you. Fast-arm players will get plenty out of it; anyone leaning on racket weight will come up short.

Volleys and blocking. Back to shining here. The maneuverability lets you adjust at the very last moment in fast exchanges, and the round shape's wide sweet spot forgives off-centre contact.

Who Is This Adidas Padel Racket Really For?

Straight answer: competition-level players who build points through placement, rhythm and patience rather than a single winning smash. The Adidas Cross It Light 2026 rewards players who work the net with soft hands, move opponents around with deep lobs, and hunt for the opponent's error rather than the outright winner.

Marta Ortega's game explains the racket well — a tour player who grinds out long rallies and punishes her opponents' mistakes.

If your game is built on burying balls from the back of the court, this isn't your racket. High-balance diamond shapes exist for that job, and the Cross It Light 2026 never tries to compete on that ground.

As a doubles pairing, it works well alongside a partner who takes on the finishing role — you sustain and place the ball, your partner closes out the point.

Verdict: An Honest Racket That Delivers Exactly What It Promises

The strength of this Adidas racket is that it never oversells itself. It's control, maneuverability and a wide sweet spot, with a face that stops the light weight from ever feeling soft.

What you trade off is power ceiling. The Soft Energy EVA absorbs energy, the round shape offers no extra leverage, and the weight doesn't push through the ball — all three factors pull the same way.

If you value reaching every ball and minimising errors over closing points in one shot, the Cross It Light 2026 makes complete sense. If not, the mismatch will show up in your very first match.