How Playing Tennis Became My Go-To Hobby

When I first walked onto a tennis court, I was fresh out of a breakup and launching my own full-time business. I was looking for a healthy way to deal with the stress and emotion of it all, so on a whim, I took a flyer and signed myself up for tennis lessons. I’ve always been very active, and as a kid, I tried pretty much every sport under the sun—except for tennis. Much to my delight, slamming a tennis ball across a court was exactly what I needed.

1. You can be choosy with how you learn.

Because I had no experience playing tennis, I felt that the best option for getting started was to sign up for private lessons. The cost for lessons will vary depending on where you live, but the one-on-one attention I received quickly helped me learn how to control the ball, establish my groundstrokes, and ultimately build confidence.

However, if private lessons aren’t something you can swing, there are plenty of more budget-friendly ways to learn. Group lessons are typically more affordable (and they’re a fun way to meet new people!). Check your local tennis clubs for group classes, open play events, and clinics—or simply ask a friend to play with you at a park.

Source: Kara Thompson

2. It’s something you can do solo.

After I learned how to not send every ball sailing into the parking lot, I found that using a ball machine was highly therapeutic. In between my lessons, I would go once or twice a week to just play solo. Most tennis facilities have ball machines that allow you to customize the height, spin, and feed rate of the ball, meaning you can control exactly how much of a workout you get. It can be a bit intimidating at first, but the more often you go, the more comfortable you’ll be.

I would have never thought I would feel confident enough to play alone, but now I go multiple times a week to hit the ball by myself. I’m all for playing a match with other people, but going to the court alone will give you a golden opportunity to reset.

Source: Kara Thompson

3. It’s the perfect way to relieve stress.

If I’m having a particularly stressful day at work and I need to let off some steam, you better believe I’m heading to the tennis court. My coach always tells me to think about something that makes me mad, and that’s when I hit the ball best.

It might seem counterintuitive to think about a stressor in order to relieve it, but I swear that something happens when you channel that energy into a strong, powerful swing. By the end of a lesson, I’ve not only gotten through a great workout, but I’ve also surely let some stress go.

4. It gets you outside.

There is no better way to snap yourself out of a funk than by getting outside, and playing tennis is my new favorite way to do that. As a born-and-raised California girl, I love being in the sun, and we all know that spending time in nature offers major benefits to our mental health.

I’ve also enjoyed using tennis as a way to break up my work days. If you have a flexible schedule and can sneak out for a quick match between meetings, go for it. You’ll feel so much more energized if you spend even 30 minutes outside rather than being slumped over your desk all day.

Source: Kara Thompson

5. The outfits are a major mood booster.

I’ll be the first to admit that my initial interest in learning how to play tennis was solely based on the cute outfits. As a kid, if there was a sport that involved a skirt, I begged my mom to sign me up. There’s just something about slipping into a tennis skirt or dress that makes me feel more like myself than putting on yoga pants. I’ve always been a girly girl and everything about tennis style hits home on that.

When I first signed up for lessons, I splurged on a classic tennis wardrobe, snagging all the preppy skorts, scrunchies, and racket bags I could find. Now that tennis and pickleball seem to be trending, there are tons of outfits worth adding to your cart. Hey, you gotta look the part!