What should you bring with you for your first tennis match or tennis tournament?
There are a few things that you will want to have on hand when your are playing tennis…and luckily your bag should be big enough to fit all of the tennis must haves.
Make sure to grab the tennis bag must haves printable checklist at the end of this post!
Top 10 Tennis Bag Must Haves
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Best Water Bottle for Tennis Players
The most important things to take in consideration when buying a waterbottle for tennis is how cold will it keep your beverage?
If you are outside and dealing with the heat a cold beverage will cool you down faster than a warm one.
Tennis matches can be long.
Tennis tournaments can be even longer.
A water bottle like this is great because it is well insulated and should keep your drink cold even on the hottest of days.
Sports Drink Tablets
I don’t always want a sports drink when I’m playing tennis.
Most of the time I just drink water.
However, on a super hot day or during a really long match sometimes I need something more.
Keeping sports drink tablets (like these) work well because they don’t take up much room in your bag and give you the option to turn your water into something more when you need it.
Tennis Player Snacks
You will want to have a variety of healthy tennis snacks stored in your bag.
Keeping some fresh items like bananas and apples can be a good way to have some healthy fuel on hand.
Just make sure you don’t forget about fresh foods that you have stored….no one likes finding a rotten banana at the bottom of their bag.
You can also store things like snack bars (these would be a good choice) that have whole ingredients and provide you with nutrition.
Need a healthy snack option while you watch other members on your tennis team play?
Always Bring an Extra Racket
It is always good to have an extra racket on hand.
It is ESSENTIAL to keep a spare when you are playing in a tournament.
If it can happen…it will happen and you want to be prepared.
I have had my strings break while playing a tournament and it was not fun…but luckily I had my back up racket with me so I could continue to go on.
Related Post: Must Have Tennis Equipment
Sunscreen is a Must
Long tennis matches in the sun require sunscreen…and lots of it!
You will want to reapply as your sweat could be causing some of it to wear off.
Carrying a sunscreen stick (like this) is perfect because you don’t have to worry about it spilling in your bag or making your hands greasy during a match.
You can checkout just how strong the sun’s rays are for when and where you are playing HERE.
Towel for Sweat
Tennis makes you sweat!
Carrying a small towel in your bag to wipe sweat off between sets can be a life saver.
Using a cooling tool (like this one) is also a great option to cool you down between points.
Find out some more tips about how to handle the heat when playing tennis here.
Extra Tennis Balls
You can never have too many tennis balls.
Carrying an extra couple is a good idea in case one gets wet or lost.
You can keep a hopper of balls (like this) in your car which can also come in very handy when practicing alone.
Sunglasses or Hat
If you have eyes like mine that are sensitive to the sun then sunglasses are an essential item to have in your tennis bag.
You want to be able to see well and squinting can interfere with that.
Not a fan of wearing sunglasses?
Try using a hat or tennis visor (this one is super cute) to keep the sun out of your eyes.
First Aid Kit
You never know what can happen.
Keeping a little first aid kit (like this) is the perfect way to be prepared for whatever happens.
Scrapes, blisters, or other injuries are common in tennis and you don’t want to be stuck without a bandaid when you need one.
Extra Tennis Outfit
You will always want to pack an extra tennis outfit.
This should include everything you would need to change outfits completely..even socks!
This is very important if you are traveling a long distance to play your match.
Need some ideas on what to wear when you play tennis?
Check out these cute tennis outfit ideas to get inspired.
Be Prepared
I hope this information will help you be prepared for your next match.
Is there something I missed?
Let me know in the comments if you think there is something that I may have missed and should add to the list.
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