I’ve dabbled with tennis in the past, having played a little bit at school and making the most of hotel tennis courts while on holiday. I also own more than one tennis skirt, often ordered impulsively online while watching Wimbledon. But all it really took to get me playing regularly was Zendaya’s fictional backhand.

Challengers clichés aside, I’ve been playing tennis for nearly two months now and I’ve quickly come to realise that it’s one of the best ways to exercise. I hate running, but I need to work on my aerobic fitness and want to spend more time outdoors. I also want to spend more time with my friends doing things that don’t revolve around alcohol. The solution? An hour on the court. Finally, I’ve found a physical activity that I want to stick with. Here’s why you’ll still find me playing come winter…

Tennis is a great form of cardio

Cardio gets a bad rap, and many people are convinced that the only way to get a sweat on is by going for a run or attending a HIIT class – neither of which activities appeal to everyone. I enjoy strength training, but finding a way to get my heart rate up can be challenging.

An hour or two of tennis a week has solved this problem; I’m running all over the court but it’s far from boring and not too challenging from a fitness point of view. After eight weeks, I’ve already noticed improvements in my fitness – both on and off the court.

It can help you build strength

As well as improving your fitness, tennis can help you build and maintain strength. “It’s a full body workout – it requires cardio, strength and coordination,” says tennis coach Adam Lownsbrough.

I’ve certainly noticed an improvement in my upper-body strength since playing tennis and it’s a great way to maintain muscle mass. 

It’s a way to socialise without drinking alcohol

More than one in four people want to reduce the amount of alcohol they drink in 2024, but if you’re anything like me, alcohol and socialising still go hand-in-hand. I’m trying to find new ways to spend time with my friends that don’t involve going to the pub and tennis has been a great alternative.

I play with one friend regularly, and it’s helped us to bond, but plenty of other friends who wouldn’t necessarily consider themselves sporty have been enthusiastic about the idea of a game of tennis instead of our usual catch-up over a wine.

A game provides the perfect opportunity to get outdoors

You don’t need me to tell you that working from home or in the office means we’re spending too much time hunched over our desk, lacking sunlight and fresh air.

I love going to the gym, but it’s another indoor activity, and playing tennis outdoor makes it refreshing and invigorating. It’s slightly less fun in the rain but there are always indoor courts when the great British summer inevitably becomes a damp squib.

It could help you live longer

Tennis requires a lot of coordination and I’ve already noticed mine improving; being able to hit the ball doesn’t necessarily come as naturally as you might think during the first few games. A couple of months in, however, I’m consistently hitting good shots. The coordination and mental agility required for tennis is one of the reasons it’s such a good sport to play. In fact, the Copenhagen City Heart Study, published in 2018, found that playing tennis can add 9.7 years to your life expectancy. Tennis scored the highest, followed by badminton (6.2 years), with researchers concluding that social interaction was one of the most important factors in how beneficial sports were.

To play tennis at a very basic level, you have to be able to occasionally hit the ball with a racket, which isn’t something everyone is capable of. In fact, the first few times I played, getting into any sort of rally – hitting the ball back and forth with your partner consecutively – was a struggle.

Lownsbrough says that if you’re a beginner, you don’t even need a partner to get started. “Even just hitting a ball against a wall to get a feeling of hitting a ball and the ball coming back to you for that rhythm and coordination is helpful,” he says.

Fortunately, I’ve improved quickly, and now that I’ve (almost) mastered keeping up a rally, I’ve realised that there is so much more to the game than just getting the ball over the net.  

A ball and a racket are the main pieces of kit you’ll need to get your hands on. In terms of activewear, anything that allows you to move freely is great, although plenty of brands offer pretty extensive tennis collections so it’s a great sport to get into if you get your motivation from choosing gym outfits.

Tennis shoes do exist, but they’re not something I’ve invested in yet. Instead, I just wear running trainers which so far have been totally fine. “Any shoes that are comfortable when you’re starting out are fine – you don’t have to go too high end,” Lownsbrough says.

The same logic applies to rackets: you don’t need to invest in an expensive model. Instead, Lownsbrough recommends going “lighter with a bigger head because then it’s easier to swing and you’ve got more chance of hitting the ball”. At this point, I can barely tell the difference between a £10 racket and a £200 one. 

And when it comes to balls, you might want to start with a softer ball, which won’t bounce as much. Lownsbrough also recommends attending a tennis lesson or group class: “Cardio tennis is a great form of tennis for beginners where they use softer balls.”

With that in mind, here are a few options for getting into the sport without breaking the bank.

Images: Getty; Alice Porter; courtesy of brands