Zinedine Zidane has his own padel rackets. Together with adidas, in October 2026 he launched the Metalbone ZZ Carbon and the Metalbone ZZ Team: two round rackets with medium balance, 360–375 grams and his ZZ monogram on the face. The ZZ Carbon is white with champagne and has a 3K carbon face. The ZZ Team is black with soft gold and has a fibreglass face. It is the first padel collaboration between adidas and Zidane, and that is no coincidence: the Frenchman has been a passionate padel player for years and even has his own padel clubs.
We test the rackets in our range ourselves on court. In this blog you can read how Zidane got into padel, where the collaboration with adidas comes from and what you get with both rackets: the specs, the feel, our stars and who each one suits.
Short answer: choose the Metalbone ZZ Carbon if you want a direct, firm control racket that you can also swing through with; choose the Metalbone ZZ Team if you are looking for a softer racket that feels comfortable and forgives more. Neither of the two is better or worse: the difference lies in the face and in how you play.
The adidas Metalbone ZZ rackets in brief
| Metalbone ZZ Carbon | Metalbone ZZ Team | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | round | round |
| Balance | medium | medium |
| Weight | 360–375 g | 360–375 g |
| Face | 3K carbon | fibreglass |
| Core | EVA Soft Performance | EVA Soft Performance |
| Surface | Spin Blade Decal | Spin Blade Gritt (rough) |
| Thickness | 38 mm | 38 mm |
| Feel | more direct and firmer | softer and more forgiving |
| Colour | white with champagne, ZZ monogram | black with soft gold, ZZ |
Shape, balance, weight and core are the same. The big difference is in the face: carbon versus fibreglass. That determines how hard the racket feels and how the ball comes off the face.
Zidane and padel: from football legend to club owner
Zidane is a 1998 world champion, won the Ballon d'Or and, as Real Madrid coach, won the Champions League three times in a row. Less well known: he has been a passionate padel player for years. In 2021, together with All for Padel Courts, he founded his own padel brand Z5 Padel, with a 12-court club in Aix-en-Provence, close to Marseille.
After that came a location in Istres with six outdoor courts, and one in Turin with four courts. He has been working on a club in Madrid for a year, with the Hortaleza district as the favourite location. On his social media you regularly see him in the 20x10 cage, and he also comes to watch the Premier Padel Paris Major at Roland Garros.
Why adidas and Zidane: thirty years together
The collaboration does not come out of nowhere. Zidane signed with adidas in 1996 and played his entire career in adidas Predator boots. In 2026 they celebrated thirty years of partnership with a special Predator edition. With the ZZ rackets that story now moves over to padel: adidas calls it the first padel collaboration with Zidane.
The collection is called the Cápsula ZZ and has been in shops since 9 October 2026. It consists of the two rackets and a bag. The best part is the campaign video: Ale Galán, world number 3 and an adidas player himself, welcomes Zidane. After a game with the new racket Galán says: "If we win, I'm keeping your football boots." At the end Zidane really does give him his boots: "They deserve a good home."
Note: in matches Galán does not play with the ZZ himself, but with the Metalbone HRD+ 3.5. The ZZ rackets are built for a different type of player, more on that below.
Metalbone ZZ Carbon: white, 3K carbon and a golden box
The Metalbone ZZ Carbon is the top model of the collection. Round, medium balance, 360–375 grams, with a 3K carbon face and frame and an EVA Soft Performance core. The racket is white with champagne, carries the ZZ monogram and comes in a golden presentation box with Zidane's emblem. That also makes it a lovely gift for a football fan who plays padel.
On court it feels direct and firm. The ball comes off the face tight and predictably, so you can place your volleys and bandejas well. The round shape keeps the sweet spot large and central, and at 360–375 grams it sits stable in your hand against hard balls from your opponent. The frame is extra reinforced (Octagonal Structure and Low Poly) and the grip is a little longer (Extra Power Grip), so when you swing through on a smash or vibora there is real power in it. The rough surface (Spin Blade Decal) helps with spin.
The downside: carbon is harder than fibreglass. If you do not hit the ball cleanly you feel it more, and anyone who quickly suffers from arm or elbow problems is better off with a softer face. With this racket adidas is aiming at advanced players who regularly play matches.
Choose the ZZ Carbon if you like to play tight and precise, often play competition or tournaments and want a racket that responds directly. Downside: less forgiving and a little harder on your arm than the ZZ Team.
Metalbone ZZ Team: black, fibreglass and soft on contact
The Metalbone ZZ Team has the same round mould, the same medium balance, the same weight of 360–375 grams and the same EVA Soft Performance core. The face is made of fibreglass. It is black with soft gold and has the ZZ logo in the middle of the face.
That fibreglass face makes the big difference: the ZZ Team feels softer and absorbs the impact better. It forgives more when you hit the ball just off centre, and you get the ball deep easily, even when you do not swing through fully. That lets you play long rallies comfortably. Soft does not mean limp here: the ZZ Team also has the firm frame construction and the longer grip, so you can finish a ball with this one too. The surface (Spin Blade Gritt) is rough, which helps with slice and spin.
Choose the ZZ Team if you value comfort and feel, like to play long rallies or are looking for a racket that forgives your mistakes a little more often. Downside: the ball comes back less crisply than with the ZZ Carbon, and anyone who likes a direct, hard feel will miss that here.
The difference on court
Because shape, balance, weight and core are the same, both rackets feel almost identical in the hand: round, stable and easy to handle at the net. You notice the difference the moment the ball hits the face. The ZZ Carbon is more direct and firmer, you feel exactly where the ball is going. The ZZ Team is softer and more forgiving, with more comfort on every shot. Neither is a purely defensive racket: both combine control with enough power to finish.
Our star rating
The stars show where the character of each racket lies, based on its construction: shape, balance, weight, face and core. They are relative, so compared with each other and with other padel rackets.
| ZZ Carbon | ZZ Team | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | ★★★★☆ | ★★★☆☆ |
| Control and precision | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Comfort | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Sweet spot and forgiveness | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Manoeuvrability | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Spin | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Total | 3,8 / 5 | 3,8 / 5 |
- Power: a round racket with medium balance is not a smash cannon like a diamond. The stiffer carbon face gives the ZZ Carbon just a little more rebound when you swing through; hence one star more than the softer ZZ Team.
- Control and precision: round shape, medium balance and a firm face: the ZZ Carbon is built to place precisely. The ZZ Team is also a control racket, but slightly less crisp due to the softer face.
- Comfort and forgiveness: this is what it is all about. Fibreglass is softer than carbon, so the ZZ Team scores higher on comfort and forgives more on an off-centre shot.
- Manoeuvrability: equal. Both are round with medium balance, but at 360–375 grams they are not lightweights.
- Spin: equal. Both have a rough surface and Smart Holes Curve holes for spin.
The total is equal, and rightly so: these are two rackets with their own character, not a good and a lesser version.
ZZ or the regular Metalbone HRD+?
Anyone who thinks of the adidas Metalbone often thinks of Ale Galán's racket. The Metalbone HRD+ 3.5 is a very different racket from the ZZ: diamond shape, a high balance that you can adjust with weights and 345–360 grams plus up to 11.2 grams of weights. That is an attacking racket for advanced players who mainly want to smash. The ZZ rackets are round with medium balance and are all about control, with enough power to finish. If you want to explore the difference within the Metalbone line further, read which Metalbone model suits you or view all Metalbone rackets.
Which one suits you?
Metalbone ZZ Carbon
Buy it if you play at an advanced level, often play matches and want a direct, firm racket that lets you place precisely and still swing through.
Don't buy it if you are just starting out, have problems with your arm or elbow, or are used to a soft racket.
View the ZZ CarbonMetalbone ZZ Team
Buy it if you value comfort and feel, like to play long rallies or want a racket that forgives you more.
Don't buy it if you like a hard, direct feel and want the ball back as crisply as possible.
View the ZZ TeamBoth weigh 360–375 grams. That is on the heavy side for someone who is just starting out or has a light arm; if you are looking for something lighter, have a look in our collection of padel rackets.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Metalbone ZZ Carbon and the ZZ Team?
Shape (round), balance (medium), weight (360–375 g) and core are the same. The ZZ Carbon has a 3K carbon face and feels more direct and firmer. The ZZ Team has a fibreglass face and feels softer and more forgiving. The colour differs too: white with champagne versus black with soft gold.
Does Zidane play padel himself?
Yes, for years. He even has his own padel brand Z5 Padel, with clubs in Aix-en-Provence, Istres and Turin, and he is working on a club in Madrid.
Does Ale Galán play with the Metalbone ZZ?
No. Galán does appear in the campaign video, but he plays with the Metalbone HRD+ himself, a diamond-shaped attacking racket.
Is a round racket suitable for beginners?
A round shape with a large sweet spot in the middle is forgiving and therefore pleasant to start with. But the ZZ rackets weigh 360–375 grams and the ZZ Carbon is built for advanced players. If you are just starting out, the softer ZZ Team is the more logical of the two, or choose a lighter round racket.
How heavy are the Zidane rackets?
Both 360–375 grams, with a medium balance.
Where can you buy the adidas Zidane racket in the Netherlands?
From us. Both the Metalbone ZZ Carbon and the Metalbone ZZ Team are in our webshop, while stocks last.
Our conclusion
With the Metalbone ZZ rackets, thirty years of adidas and Zidane get a padel sequel, and it feels genuine: Zidane has been playing padel for years and runs his own clubs. They are two round control rackets, each with its own character. The ZZ Carbon is more direct and firmer and suits the advanced match player who wants to place precisely. The ZZ Team is softer and more forgiving and suits those who value comfort and feel. The downside of both: at 360–375 grams they are not light rackets, and anyone who mainly wants to smash is better off with a diamond such as the Metalbone HRD+.
Related blogs and news
- Adidas Metalbone series 2026: which model suits you?
- Adidas Metalbone HRD+ 3.3 vs 3.4 vs 3.5: what is the difference?
- All adidas padel rackets
Sporting regards,
Team Holland Padel
