The season is upon us like a topspin forehand– time to ponder and peruse tennis gift ideas for the racquet enthusiast in your life. I’m very much that person, and I love tennis equipment or replacement gear as a holiday gift. I can think of nothing else I’d rather have.
To help you buy the perfect item, I’ve scoured the internet and come up with a few plum tennis gift ideas. The good news: There’s a tennis gift in every category and price point. That said, if your giftee is anything like me, they are picky and particular about their tennis equipment. You want a happy tennis player during the holidays. I got you.
Tennis Gifts: Apparel
The number one tennis clothing item I reach for when playing tennis in the cold weather months is a light to medium outer layer. If you continue to play outdoors, you need it. If you play indoors, you need something light for warm up because taking the court indoors after coming in from the cold requires a peelable layer. A zip helps to peel the extra layer quickly without messing up the hair. For women, I like Nike’s new Winter ½ zip top, which comes in black and a pretty green that will transition to Spring. For men, I favor the New Balance Men’s Fall Heat Suite 1/2 Zip, available in a cheerful red or blue.
Tennis Gifts: Bags
In the cold weather months, I prefer to switch to a different, more all-purpose bag with darker colors (not so floral). I find that I don’t need to carry as much, such as loads of sunscreen, a plethora of hats, sunglasses, towels etc. For men’s indoor and cold weather needs, I like the adidas Defender IV medium duffel. For women, if you’re looking for something a tad more cheerful and light, this gold Maggie Mather tote will get you through the winter, and it’s on sale at Tennis Warehouse.
A note about bags. How often do you show up courtside and consider if it’s really sportsmanlike to plop your bag on the bench where the players are supposed to be able to sit and rest during changeovers? And yet, I don’t always want to throw my bag on the ground. For the serious player, check out this standing Yonex bag, which has rubber feet to help it stand upright.
A major concern for me in the cold weather months is protecting the integrity of my string tension from the cold. For that reason, in winter I like a bag with a climate controlled zip section for my racquets. Stringing is expensive! This sharp bag from Volkl has climate protection technology to keep your strings safe. Go ahead, leave the bag in the car.
Tennis Gifts: Shoes
Keeping your footwear up-to-date has become vital for preserving the joints and ligaments. The sneaky thing is– your tennis shoes might need to be replaced before they look like they do because of the cleanliness of a tennis court. Do yourself and your loved one a favor with a new pair of kicks.
Regarding color, the last thing you want when playing winter tennis is sporting overly pastel or warm-weather colors out of season. Two of the most tried-and-true shoe brands are Asics and Adidas. For men, you cannot go wrong with the crisp blue and white Asics Gel Resolution 8 Novak. What better time to sport the Djokovic shoes after such a statement-making victory at the ATP Finals? For women, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Adidas Ubersonic line, and this shoe will brighten your winter tennis without being overpowering.
Tennis Gifts: Off Court
Not everyone can play as often as they’d like during the winter months. And yet the yearning is there. If your tennis playing loved one really likes to keep the gear purchases to themselves– but you still need a tennis gift idea– here’s one that is truly outside of the typical fare. Sense Arena is offering two attractively priced virtual reality packages for practicing our great sport in any location. No court needed.
And when the tennis player in your life isn’t competing on the court, I can guarantee you they love to watch the best in the world square off in the most vibrant and exciting tournaments in the sport. Surprise your loved one with a planned trip to a Grand Slam or Indian Wells. I recommend the team at Steve Furgal’s International Tennis Tours to get you to the venue on time, in style with no hitches in the backswing.
You can always turn to racquets as a tennis gift idea– if you know your recipient’s exact specs. But if you’re a little more stretched, think a little outside the baseline for a happy tennis holiday season.
