Siux Adrenaline IBAI Edition

Pros

• ✓The EVA Soft EHR core sends the ball back with almost no effort of your own: on defensive lobs from the back of the court and on low wall exits the ball just pops off the face, no need to muscle the swing. The rough, mesh-textured fibreglass face grabs the ball on off-centre hits, which you'll notice on rushed volleys and cross-court serve returns you can't quite line up. The teardrop shape with medium balance gives you a wide, forgiving sweet spot: bandejas and volleys hold their line even when you catch the ball a couple of centimetres off-centre. The frame's expansive concentric holes add extra pop on serve and return, exactly the two shots where an intermediate player tends to fall short on depth. At 360-375 g with a medium balance it's quick to handle at the net: switching from forehand to backhand volley in a fast exchange doesn't force you to reset your grip.

Cons

• ✗The EVA Soft foam paired with the 38 mm frame caps how much power you can generate: on flat smashes aimed at winning the point outright, the ball comes out soft and your opponent defends it comfortably. The fibreglass compresses on hard impacts and gives back a somewhat spongy response; if you're chasing the crisp, direct feedback of carbon, you won't find it here. The power-control balance is genuine, but it doesn't stand out at either extreme: players who already close out points with sliced viboras will outgrow it within a few months. The mesh-style texture on the face is the first thing to wear down on sand-heavy courts, and the bite it gives on cut shots fades sooner than on more aggressive finishes.

The Siux Adrenaline IBAI Edition suits intermediate players who already have a technical base and want to progress without jumping to a too-demanding paddle. 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 360-375g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

Siux Adrenaline IBAI Edition Review: A Streamer Racket That Turns Out to Be a Genuine Progression Tool

The Siux Adrenaline IBAI Edition is a medium-balance teardrop racket with an EVA Soft EHR core, a rough mesh-textured fibreglass face and a 38 mm frame, weighing in at 360-375 g. It's the result of Siux's collaboration with streamer Ibai Llanos — black finish with fuchsia accents — rather than a pro-circuit player's signature model, and that's worth knowing before you read a single line about how it plays.

That distinction matters. A competition signature racket is built around one specific shot; this one is built around a player who's leaving the beginner stage behind and just wants to stop missing easy balls.

Siux Adrenaline IBAI Edition: Full Specs

What Level of Player Is the Adrenaline IBAI Edition For?

It's aimed at players who already move around the court with some know-how but still don't always catch the ball dead centre. The Adrenaline IBAI Edition is built for the jump from beginner to intermediate: it forgives off-centre hits, sends the ball back with minimal effort and goes easy on your arm. Push into upper-intermediate or advanced territory and it starts running out of ceiling.

Think of it as a padel racket that works for you rather than one that demands you work for it. That's the whole philosophy behind the model.

EVA Soft EHR Meets Fibreglass: Why the Ball Exit Feels So Effortless

Soft EVA paired with a fibreglass face is the classic recipe for easy ball exit, and here it's pushed close to the extreme. EVA Soft EHR compresses heavily on contact and gives back energy without you needing to accelerate your arm.

It shows up most in three situations:

1. **The defensive lob from the back of the court.** With a harder core, a mistimed lob falls short and hands over the point. Here, even with a checked swing, the ball still reaches deep.
2. **The low wall exit.** When you're stretched and can only block the ball, the racket finishes the shot for you.
3. **Serve and return.** The frame's expansive concentric holes add extra push exactly on the two shots where intermediate players usually lack depth.

Fibreglass is also more flexible than carbon: it dampens vibration and softens hard impacts. The trade-off for that comfort is less crisp feedback, which I'll get into below.

The Rough Mesh-Textured Face: Where It Actually Makes a Difference

The mesh-style surface treatment isn't just there for spin. Its main job on this racket is grip on off-centre hits: when you miss the sweet spot, the texture holds the ball for a fraction of a second longer and the ball exit keeps its direction instead of flying wide.

On court, that translates into rushed volleys that still land in and cross-court returns that don't open up too much. It also helps on short cut shots, though it's worth knowing this kind of texture is the first thing to wear down with regular play on sandy courts.

Shot-by-Shot Breakdown

At the net, it feels right at home. The medium balance and 360-375 g weight range let you react fast in volley exchanges; there's no extra inertia to correct when switching from forehand to backhand.

The bandeja is its standout shot. The teardrop shape puts a bit of extra mass in the hitting zone without making the racket demanding, and the generous sweet spot holds direction even when contact isn't perfect. Cross-court bandeja to the back glass: repeatable, shot after shot.

The vibora is a mixed bag. It comes off the face with spin thanks to the textured face, but it's missing the crisp, sharp response that really hurts opponents. Good for causing discomfort, not for closing out the point.

The flat smash is its clear limit. EVA Soft paired with the 38 mm frame absorbs too much on hard contact: the ball comes out soft and your opponent has time to defend it. If your game plan relies on smashing your way out of trouble, this isn't your racket.

On defence it gets the job done without shining. It forgives mistakes, gets the ball back deep and holds up in long rallies from the back. It won't generate pace of its own on the counter.

The Honest Trade-Off: What You Gain and What You Lose

The all-round approach of the Adrenaline IBAI Edition is real — it's neither a pure control racket nor a power one — but that versatility comes at a cost: it doesn't excel at either extreme.

You gain comfort, a forgiving sweet spot and an arm that isn't sore after a two-hour match. You lose top-end power and precise feedback. The fibreglass compresses on impact and delivers a slightly spongy feel, a long way from the direct touch of carbon.

If you're coming from a stiffer racket and want your joints to catch a break, you'll appreciate the change. If you're after more pace on your shots, this isn't the racket for that.

Who Should Play With It, and With Whom

It suits late-beginner or early-intermediate players, still building their technique and shot consistency, who'd rather keep the ball in play than try to end the point with one big hit.

As a doubles pairing, it works well alongside a partner who's happy to play the finisher: you hold the rally, place deep lobs and avoid unforced errors; your partner closes things out. As the defensive backhand racket in a mixed-level pair, it holds its own comfortably.

Where it doesn't fit: players who already close out points with smashes and viboras, or who need fine-tuned feedback to control spin.

Verdict

The Siux Adrenaline IBAI Edition is an honest progression racket wrapped in eye-catching marketing. The name comes from a collaboration with Ibai Llanos, not a competitive playing career, and the racket underneath doesn't try to hide that: soft foam, a flexible fibreglass face, a forgiving teardrop shape and a frame that adds punch on serve and return.

It delivers exactly what it promises for players still building their game. And, predictably, it comes up short for those who've already built theirs. Buying it with that in mind is the difference between a smart pick and a letdown six months down the line.