The Babolat Counter Vertuo 2.6 shares a name with last year's Counter Vertuo. It is a different racket: round instead of hybrid, Black EVA instead of X-EVA. The weight now runs from 340 to 360 g.
Round, Black EVA, 3D Spin: what the 2.6 changes against the 2025 Vertuo
The 2025 Counter Vertuo was a hybrid shape with an X-EVA core and a rough surface. The 2.6 is round, with Black EVA and a 3D Spin surface. The balance label moved from Medium to Even Balance, and the weight went from a fixed 350 g to a 340 to 360 g range.
Some things stayed. The face is still fiberglass, the frame is still carbon and the thickness is still 38 mm. So this is not a new family. It is the same idea, rebuilt.
340 to 360 g at 265 mm: why handling reads High and power reads Low
The balance point sits at 265 mm, which Babolat labels even balance. Add a round head and a light weight, and the racket turns quickly. That means the head comes back into position fast after each shot.
The trade-off is power. A light, round racket with a fiberglass face does not add much speed by itself. The Black EVA core is the hard kind, which pushes power up a little, but the meter still reads Low. Not a weakness if your game is built on placement and patience. A problem if you hope the racket will do the work.
One more point. Babolat lists a nominal weight of 350 g, which sits in the middle of the range. Your own racket can land anywhere between 340 and 360 g. Head size, handle and weight system are not published.
Comfortable power, says the product page: the meters and one test say otherwise
The product page claims comfortable power with little effort, and says the flexible fiberglass helps the ball leave faster. Treat that as marketing. The power meter reads Low, and the only test on record found a limited power ceiling.
The comfort side holds up better. The page also mentions the Vibrabsorb System, which Babolat lists as the anti-vibration technology. Together with the fiberglass face and light weight, that fits the medium comfort reading.
69 out of 100 from padel.how: forgiving, defensive, short on ceiling
Padel.how played it and gave 69 out of 100. Its reviewer found a large central sweet spot with good forgiveness and a soft response suited to defence. The downside was a limited power ceiling and less precision when you swing hard.
The same review frames it as a counterattacking racket for beginners and intermediates. It also says this is not a cut-down Counter Viper. Read that as a warning against assuming a smaller version of the Viper. It is a different tool.
Vertuo, Veron and Viper 2.6: one line, three different jobs
The Counter Viper 2.6 is head heavy at 270 mm, weighs 365 g and has a 3K carbon face. Its control meter reads High, and its maneuverability reads Low. The Counter Veron 2.6 is also head heavy and 365 g, with a Carbon Flex face. Both are heavier than the Vertuo. The Vertuo is the light, handy one in the line.
Counter Vertuo 2.6, Nox X-One Silhouette 2026 or Nox Equation Soft Advanced 2027: picking your round counter-attacker
The Nox X-One Silhouette 2026 is also round and 38 mm thick, and is listed for beginners. Its comfort meter reads Low against Medium here, and its handling reads Medium against High. The Nox Equation Soft Advanced 2027 shows the same pattern. If a soft arm and a quick racket head matter most, the Vertuo 2.6 leads on those two meters.
