Kombat Fuji 2026 By Manu Martin

Technologies

Pros

• ✓Aluminized 18K carbon gives the face a matte, gritty texture that bites into the ball: your vibora comes off with more spin than your arm actually put in, and topspin drives from the back bounce noticeably high Medium balance at 360-370g: the head never feels heavy, you get to the bandeja even when rushed, and you can switch planes mid-volley without your wrist breaking open The Black EVA core delivers a firm response on the flat smash while still giving back enough energy to send deep balls after an awkward wall exit The 100% carbon tubular frame holds its line on volley blocks against smashes and stops the frame twisting on cut bandejas caught off-centre Genuine all-round game: it lets you defend with a long lob and step up to the net looking to finish the point, without forcing you to pick between a defensive or an attacking racket

Cons

• ✗The medium-sized sweet spot typical of the teardrop shape doesn't forgive much: balls caught near the tip or close to the frame lose pace and transmit straight to the wrist over long matches 360-370g paired with a rough-textured face demands quick arm speed; players who arrive late to the ball end up pushing it rather than striking it Because it splits power and control evenly, it never hits the ceiling of a more aggressive shape: players looking to close out points with a smash by 3 will find it a touch short on punch The gritty finish loses bite with court hours, so the spin that grabs today will need extra wrist work to produce a few months down the line

The Kombat Fuji 2026 By Manu Martin targets advanced players with consolidated technique who want more performance without yet moving to a pure competition racket. Its teardrop shape shifts the sweet spot slightly upwards, striking a balance between control and power. The medium balance keeps a balanced behaviour between baseline shots and volleys. Its 360-370g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

Manu Martín has put his name to the Kombat Fuji 2026, a 360-370g teardrop racket with Carbono 18K Aluminizado (aluminized 18K carbon) faces and a Black EVA core. It's the model from his personal 2025/2026 collection, the most balanced racket in the Vulcano line, finished in red and silver with styling inspired by Mount Fuji.

Why the Carbono 18K Aluminizado on the Kombat Fuji actually matters

Aluminization is a treatment applied to the Carbono 18K Aluminizado weave on the faces, and you feel its effect before you feel its power. The surface comes out matte and rough, and that grit is what grabs the ball on impact.

On court that translates to a vibora that comes off with more spin than your arm actually generated, and a topspin drive from the back of the court that bounces higher than you'd expect from a padel racket that isn't built as a pure power stick.

18K is also a dense weave. It adds lateral stiffness to the face and a clean response, without that soft spot that leaves the ball sitting on the strings a fraction too long and throws off your volley timing.

What level of player is the Kombat Fuji 2026 built for?

This one's for the advanced player. The 360-370g weight, the medium-sized sweet spot that comes with the teardrop shape, and a surface that demands real arm speed rule out players who still arrive late to the ball. With solid technique, it gives back control and ball exit in equal measure; without it, every off-centre hit gets punished.

Black EVA and tubular frame: firm, not a brick

The Black EVA core sits at a medium density. It's neither the soft rubber that pumps up ball exit at the expense of control, nor the extra-hard EVA that only responds when you swing at 100%.

On the flat smash the response is firm and gives you clear feedback on exactly where you made contact. On drives pushed from behind the baseline, that same core still holds enough bounce to send the ball deep without needing your whole body behind it.

The 100% carbon tubular frame is what pulls it all together. It stops the frame flexing on off-axis contact — a low cut bandeja, a volley block against a smash — and explains why the racket holds its direction even when the contact point wasn't ideal.

Kombat Fuji 2026 spec sheet

Shot by shot: where it shines and where it falls short

1. **Bandeja and vibora.** This is its home turf. The medium balance lets you prepare late without the head dragging down, and the rough face adds the bite that pins the ball to the glass.
2. **Smash by 3 and flat smash.** It holds up well, but this isn't a racket that ends the point on its own: you need to be well positioned and use the weight, not wait for the core to do the work.
3. **Wall exits.** With the stiff frame and a responsive core, the ball comes out deep if you get there in time. Arrive a touch late and catch it near the frame, and it falls short.
4. **Volleys.** The model's most underrated strength: the crisp response and contained weight let you block and change rhythm with a firm wrist.
5. **Defence and lob.** The medium sweet spot demands centred contact. The lob goes long on a clean hit; off-centre ones land mid-court.

Who should be playing with this Kombat teardrop

The clear profile is the advanced player who can hold either side of the court and doesn't want to sacrifice anything. Someone who builds the point with deep bandejas, looks for the crossed vibora when the ball sits up, and smashes to open space rather than to end the point outright.

As a pairing, it works well alongside a partner running a more aggressive racket who takes on the finishing smash. The Fuji covers ground, organises play and punishes the opponent's mistakes; it isn't built to be the one blasting every ball away.

Players who lead with the arm and keep a loose wrist will love it. Anyone who relies on the racket adding extra metres to the shot will feel it's missing a bit of exit speed on the high smashes.

Verdict on Manu Martín's Fuji 2026

This is a coherent racket: every element — Carbono 18K Aluminizado, medium-density Black EVA, tubular frame — pulls in the same direction, that of a control-oriented teardrop with contained attacking power and plenty of spin on tap.

Its two trade-offs are honest and well-flagged: a medium sweet spot that demands centred contact, and a power ceiling that won't compete with more extreme shapes. If your game lives on spin, on the bandeja, and on moving your opponent before you smash, the Kombat Fuji 2026 does exactly what it says on the tin.