How to Prepare for a Tennis Tournament: Tips from Marina Tennis Club Players and Coaches

A tennis tournament is not only an opportunity to test your strength but also a powerful source of motivation. To take the court with confidence, it's important to prepare properly—physically, technically, and mentally. Marina Tennis Club coaches share practical tips to help every player achieve their best results.

1. Gradual Physical Preparation

Physical fitness is the foundation of any victory. Three to four weeks before the tournament, begin intensifying your training: add running exercises, interval sprints, and bodyweight strength training. Particular attention should be paid to endurance and recovery—this is what allows you to endure several matches in a row.

Tips from Marina Tennis Club coaches:

• Increase the load gradually to avoid injury.
• Don't forget about stretching and flexibility exercises.
• Monitor your diet and hydration during preparation.

The main goal is to enter the tournament in excellent shape, but without overtraining. It's better to be slightly undertrained than to burn out before the start.

2. Technical preparation and shot control

During a tournament, mistakes are most often caused not by poor technique, but by rushing and nervousness. Therefore, a week before the competition, it's important not to overload yourself with new exercises, but to strengthen your consistency and confidence in your basic strokes.

Recommended exercises:

• Serve practice – 30–50 repetitions per day, recording accuracy.
• Controlling the tempo and depth of diagonal strokes.
• Short set sessions – concentration training.

On the courts of the Marina Tennis Club in Kyiv, you can practice all types of strokes on different surfaces – clay and hard. This helps you adapt to any tournament playing conditions.

3. Mental Preparation: Confidence and Concentration

Even the strongest players can lose due to nervous tension. Therefore, mental preparation is just as important as physical preparation. A few days before the tournament, you need to learn to manage your emotions and stay calm under any circumstances.

Techniques to help you maintain confidence:

• Visualization – imagine yourself confidently walking onto the court and winning points.
• Breathing control – take deep breaths before serving.
• Focus on the process, not the result – enjoy the game itself.

At Marina Tennis Club tournaments, coaches support players and help them cope with nerves, especially beginners for whom this is their first competition.

4. Preparing your equipment and racket

Little things can decide the outcome of a match. Make sure your equipment fits and feels comfortable, and your racket is properly tensioned. A spare racket, fresh strings, and several sets of clothing are recommended.

What to bring to the tournament:

• 2-3 rackets, spare strings, and dampers;
• several towels and water bottles;
• light snacks (bananas, nuts, energy bars);
• a cap and sunscreen if the tournament is held on an outdoor court.

Before the tournament, Marina Tennis Club coaches will help you check your equipment and select the optimal string tensions depending on the surface and your playing style.

5. Tournament Tactics and Strategy

On tournament day, don't radically change your playing style. Play to your strengths and familiar tactics. Develop a match plan, but be prepared to adapt to your opponent.

• Study your opponents' styles—if possible, watch their games in advance.
• Don't rush the decisive shots—consistency is more important than risk.
• Play your first serve reliably to maintain rhythm.

A tournament is not an exam, but a celebration of tennis. Enjoy every point, and the results will follow.

6. Post-Tournament Recovery

After the competition, give your body and mind a rest. One or two days of active recovery (yoga, swimming, light fitness) will help avoid overtraining. Analyze your game, draw conclusions, and set new goals.

Conclusion

Tournament preparation is a complex process where a balance between physicality, technique, and psychology is essential. At Marina Tennis Club, players receive full coaching support, from training planning to match analysis. Here, we create the conditions for growth and confidence on the court.

Sign up for individual tournament training and feel how confidence turns into results. Marina Tennis Club is your partner on the path to victory!