What to Bring to Tennis Practice

The essentials to help you look and play your best on the tennis court

February 25, 2022

The essentials to help you look and play your best on the tennisAre you new to tennis, taking lessons for the first time, and looking for a comprehensive guide for what to bring to tennis practice? Look no further, this guide is your one stop shop for tennis practice outfit inspiration, which tennis gear you need, and other items you should bring when you hit the court for the first time. Regardless of your age or tennis ability, this guide is a great tool to help you get some ideas for what you might want to bring to tennis practice. In this article, we’ll be covering these topics:

Tennis clothes to rock the court in
The tennis equipment you’ll need
Miscellaneous items for when you don’t know what to bring to tennis practice

Woman walking down sidewalk with tennis racket — Whether you’re starting private lessons, attending a group practice, or practicing solo, playing tennis in any way is a great way to work out the entire body and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. To get the look above, check out the Dona Jo Classic Skirt in Black Polka Dot. Image courtesy of Bodydoublefenwick’s Instagram.

Get the Tennis Look

Hit the court looking fashionable and athletic

Whoever said that you should compromise fashion for comfort when it comes to picking out athletic wear? Get the best of both worlds by integrating designs, cuts, and materials that you enjoy. Making sure that you’re feeling your best in your workout outfit will help to create a better tennis practice session and can help you to improve your skills more quickly.

A great item to integrate into your tennis practice wardrobe is a tennis skirt. This classic staple is the perfect way to feel chic and feminine as you exercise while also feeling breezy and comfortable. If you’re looking for more coverage than the popular thirteen inch look, then consider the Dona Jo 17-inch and 19-inch tennis skirts. They come in the same eye-catching patterns as the shorter Dona Jo skirts, just with a little more length added.

Additionally, if you’re taking tennis lessons in cooler weather, the Dona Jo skirted leggings and capris are perfect for bundling up while looking elegant. With a wide variety of patterns and designs, you can dress your best for your tennis practices despite the chilly weather. These options are also perfect if you’re prone to leg chafing, which can harm your game over time.

If you’re looking for even more tennis skirt outfit inspiration, check out this Dona Jo guide to outfits with tennis skirts.

Aside from tennis skirts, leggings, biker shorts, and loose-fitting athletic shorts are also a great staple for tennis practice outfits. As for tennis tops, tank tops and short-sleeved tops with sweat-wicking material are perfect options to ensure a comfortable tennis practice. If you’re looking for some inspiration for tops to wear to tennis practice, check out this Dona Jo guide to workout tops for any sort of exercise.

Woman holding bouquet of flowers — The monochromatic outfit never looked so good, especially when you’re wearing the Dona Jo Jojo Skirt Eco in White and the Sunshine Polo in White. Image courtesy of Fashionbyvicky’s Instagram.

Essential Equipment and Accessories

Rackets, tennis balls, tennis courts, and more

What is a tennis player without their tennis equipment? While it’s important to look the part, having the parts you need to play tennis is an essential part of what you need to bring to tennis practice.

For starters, the number one thing that you need in order to play tennis is a tennis racket. You should find one that suits you, as they come in different head sizes, including standard, midplus, oversize, and super oversize. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the racket, the greater the power. However, the larger the racket, the more difficult it can be to maneuver the instrument. So, before you make a racket purchase you should consider the size, the amount of power you want behind your swing, and the flexibility you want out of your racket.

Equally as important but much less customizable is the tennis ball. Any tennis player attending tennis practice should bring with them a couple, or many, tennis balls. Some great options for tennis balls are the Wilson set of three or the Penn Championship set.

The final item you should consider while looking for tennis supplies is your tennis shoes. While running shoes and sneakers will do, you want to make sure to use a pair that provides ample support for when you run up and down the court. They should be flexible enough to move with you while also firm enough to provide bridge support. Additionally, always make sure to replace your tennis shoes at least annually or more frequently depending on how often and how long you practice tennis in them.

Woman playing pickleball — While pickleball and tennis are vastly different in some ways, they’re similar in others. For example, the clothing you wear for each sport is the same. Shop this look with the Dona Jo Jojo Skirt in Black Polka Dot. Image courtesy of Nancylessnick’s Instagram.

Other Items to Bring to Tennis Practice

Miscellaneous things to grab before you head to the tennis court

While your tennis attire and the tennis equipment you bring to practice are a vital part to any good tennis workout, there are a few other items that can make the experience even better and keep you at your best.

One thing that absolutely every player should bring to practice is a water bottle or refreshing drink of some sort. Dehydration is possible regardless of the time of year or climate you live in, especially when you’re doing intense, longer tennis workouts. If you’re not a fan of plain water, then consider bringing a sports drink or adding an electrolyte-packed powder packet to your water. This will help you to perform your best on the court and avoid headaches and injury.

Something that is less of an essential but is still valuable to bring is a protein-filled snack for either before or after your workout. Whether this is in the form of a protein shake or a protein bar, or something of the sort, these types of snacks can help to fuel your workout and help you to improve your fitness.

Other things you might want to bring to tennis practice include sunglasses, sunscreen if it’s sunny out, a light jacket if it’s chilly, and something to put your hair up or to keep it out of your face if you have longer hair.

Woman posing on beach — Women’s tennis attire has had a major upgrade since the growth of tennis in the mid 1900’s. Ditch the tennis skirt every once in a while for these Dona Jo Moto Leggings in Purple. Image courtesy of Ginadiazh’s Instagram.

While these are just a few suggestions for items you should bring to tennis practice, there are a variety more dependent on your lifestyle that you can bring. Ultimately, picking the tennis rackets, tennis wardrobe, and other items that you feel will make you successful on the court is the best way to go. So, always make sure to pack your tennis bag accordingly before you leave the house to hit the court.