Racket
Head Prestige MP 2023 (Auxetic 2)
Classic Prestige midplus—99 box-beam control with Auxetic 2 softness and more usable pace than the franchise’s brick reputation, if you already swing with intent.
Court Score
3/ 5
Demo this as a primary option in its lane? Not an average of the axes.How we score.
- Powerfree depth
- 3
- Controlaim when swinging out
- 5
- Spinshape / dip
- 3
- Comfortarm-friendly sessions
- 4
- Valueworth street price
- 4
What it is
Late in a league match, a heavy ball into your body — you take a compact cut and the maroon box beam holds the line, pockets with that unmistakable Prestige leave, and the ball lands inside instead of floating long. That’s the Prestige MP 2023 in one picture: Head’s classic control midplus for players who want pinpoint aim and connected thin-beam feel when they swing out.
Current US retail Prestige MP (style 236123, Auxetic 2 generation): Tennis Warehouse lists a unique 99 sq in hoop, dense 18×19, constant 21.5 mm box beam, 310 g unstrung / 326 g (11.5 oz) strung, maroon cosmetic with see-through carbon accents. Sold unstrung; US street $259 on TW (sale listing as of research window). Not Prestige Pro (denser / previously the old MP name), not MP L (lighter 16×19), not the Oct 2026 iPrestige / Prestige Limited specials — this is the stock club Prestige MP most demos still mean.
Who it’s for
Serious recreational and club players (roughly 4.0+) with medium-to-full swings who already generate pace and want classic Prestige precision: redirection against big hitters, knife slice, feel on short angles, and a softer Auxetic 2 response than older boardy Prestiges. Strong compare if you’re demoing Blade 98, Percept 97, Radical MP, or Pro Staff 97 Classic and craving denser 18×19 feedback on Head’s thin box beam with a slightly roomier 99 hoop.
Skip it if you need Pure Drive / EZONE free depth, if you’re still finding clean contact on a tight pattern, or if you want maximum plow and open-pattern spin — Blade 16×19 / Radical territory. TW rates power Low and swing speed Fast: this frame rewards swinging with intent, not blocking.
Standout details
- Specs that matter (TW / TW Europe lab): 99 in² · 310 g unstrung / 11.5 oz (326 g) strung · 3 pts HL · SW 327 · RA 62 · 18×19 · 48–57 lbs · beam 21.5/21.5/21.5 mm · Auxetic 2 / Graphene Inside / Graphite · maroon · Hydrosorb Pro grip
- Auxetic 2: yoke/handle layup Head pitches for real-time feedback; TW’s review called out softer, more classic Prestige feel vs prior gens without dumping control
- 99 + 18×19: unusual combo — denser than open 16×19 control 98s, a touch more launch/forgiveness than a pure 18×20 brick; TW playtesters noted surprising usable pace for a Prestige
- Box beam + elongated shaft + CAP grommets: the Prestige geometry story since the late ’80s — stability, thin-beam aim, and that signature impact sound (TW / HEAD)
- Lower SW vs prior MP: TW notes the 2023 update dropped swingweight vs the ~340-class previous MP, making scramble and net reaction more realistic for club players
- Tradeoffs: you still supply most of the engine; SW 327 and elongated shaft can feel less whippy than Blade/Speed; 18×19 won’t bite like Aero/VCORE; $259 is strong vs $299 peers but not Radical’s street bargain
Who’s hitting it
HEAD markets the Prestige series as endorsed by names such as Marin Čilić, Francisco Cerúndolo, Dominik Koepfer, and Aslan Karatsev (HEAD product page athlete row). Prestige heritage also includes decades of tour paint — the franchise’s reputation is control, not free power.
Retail ≠ tour setup. Pros often play customized molds, different patterns, or leaded match sticks under Prestige cosmetics. HEAD’s own materials note that pro specs can differ from the consumer model shown. You’re buying the stock 310 g / 99 / 18×19 / RA ~62 MP club players should demo — classic Prestige midplus feel, not a tour paintjob or the upcoming iPrestige Limited specials.
Honest verdict
If Court List already covers Blade 98 16×19 (modern spin-control), Percept 97 (flex Japanese 97), Radical MP (all-court Head), Gravity MP (soft unique feel), and Pro Staff 97 Classic (Wilson box-beam), Prestige MP fills the classic Head thin-beam control gap — denser 18×19 on a 99 with Auxetic 2 plushness the franchise didn’t always have. Demo it when you want surgical aim, connected slice, and that Prestige leave — and you’re willing to bring the pace. It’s not free power, not a spin freak, and not the first racket most 3.5s should buy — for serious recreational players who already hit through the ball and want the current Prestige midplus at a real street price in 2026, it’s the Prestige worth putting in the bag.
Updated 2026-09-25