Holiday Gift Guide for Tennis Players!

Tis the Season to find that perfect gift for the tennis player in your life! Here are 10 suggestions that might light up his or her holiday spirit! Listen to our TennisPAL Chronciesl podcast episode as we discuss each of these items in detail.

1. Roger Federer Figurines

This special commemorative figurine is Handcrafted by artist Davide Del Gallo of Degaloff Design in Italy just for special Federer fans like yourself.  As an introductory offer, we are preselling this figure for a special price to the first 15 people who order.  Only 100 of this figure will be made.  They are available here 

2. Roger Federer Coffee Table Book

20 years on the ATP circuit and 20 Grand Slams have made Roger Federer the greatest tennis player of all time. These achievements, plus his never-ending record-­breaking streaks, will be celebrated in the first large-format, coffee-­table book about the Swiss role-­model icon.  Available Here

3 & 4. A Tennis Racquet and tennis strings are not good choices but a gift card for a Tennis Racquet and strings are! Here’s why…

A tennis racquet is almost as personal as a hand.  Many great coaches over the years have described the tennis racquet as an extension of your hand so you can imagine how hard it would be to buy something as personal and connected as a racquet must be to a player.

Perhaps if the person is a beginner a racquet might be a suitable gift but make sure to buy a racquet that the person can grow into instead of the average off the shelf tennis racquet one might find at a large warehouse store.  If you have questions, just ask a tennis teaching professional or feel free to send us an email.

Here is a picture of a racquet that does not have a molded frame.  Take note of the middle bridge that is actually separate and glued into the racquet. This creates instability and ultimately a loss of control.  If you do purchase a racquet make sure it doesn’t look like this :

5.  Gift Card for Tennis Shoes is always needed

Shoes are almost as personal and hard to purchase for an advanced player as a racquet is so we suggest the trusty gift card option. They are also probably the most needed and overused items a tennis player uses.  I burn through my shoes in about 3 months so I end up buying approx 4 pairs a year.  I usually buy in bulk when I see a sale!.

If you are in the local area, please visit our friend Julian at Apex Racquet Werks!  He is such a great friend to tennis and can help in every way.

Our favorite store online for all things tennis besides Amazon is Tennis Warehouse since they usually have all the high-end brands specific to tennis with lots of deals and sales.  If you have a local tennis shop near you or belong to a club check to see if they have a gift card option.  It’s always great to support the local community ecosystem of tennis when possible.

6.  Tennis Lessons

No one, not Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Serena Williams improves without a great coach.  There are thousands of tennis professionals that teach and you can find most of the reputable ones listed on the USTA website here.  If you are in the local Los Angeles area, I would be honored to give you or your friend a lesson.  My tennis teaching page is here Lessons from Coach PK.  You can also use the TennisPAL app to find a local or virtual coach who will analyze a video of your playing and give you tips on your technique.  Download the tennispal app to access.

While you are on the USTA Website, why not gift the gift of USTA membership?  It’s only $44 a year for adults and is an annual due each league playing tennis player must pay.  If you have a young junior player that wants to play more competitively it’s only $19 and they get a cool USTA membership card.

7.  Court Crate

I recently received a box of tennis goodies from a new company called Court Crate.  They offer “a loaded tennis gift for any tennis enthusiast with over 7-10 items”.  My crate was filled with Tennis Balls, compression band, tennis socks, strings, wristbands, Rosin Bag, Nuun hydration tablets and more.

For a tennis player, this box of goodies is sure to bring a very wide grin each month.  You can sign up or gift the service at CourtCrate.

8.  Tennis Racquet overgrips

Depending on your player, Tennis grips can be changed every time you play to every time there is a full moon.  They really make a difference in the ability to hold onto the racquet and some are extremely good at absorbing sweat.  I have literally had the racquet fly out of my hand on serve because of a sweaty hand and an old grip.  These things are pretty affordable in a 3 pack but also come in a roll of 12 or 20 depending on the manufacturer.  You really can’t have enough of these.

There are many different types so it does get a bit personal but when I received grips I didn’t like, I regifted them for a fellow tennis friend who was happy to receive.  I enjoy using the Yonex SuperGrap grips.  They have the right amount of sponginess and tackiness for my preference.

9.  Sunscreen

Depending on the part of the world or country you live in, Sunscreen is something that we as tennis players probably don’t use enough.  Maria Sharapova even went so far as to partner in a sunscreen company called SuperGoop to find the perfect brand for herself.  I know there are a lot of female players that don’t want to have visible sunscreen on their faces so Supergoop overs a transparent solution to sunblock.

For myself I have turned to physical sun barrier like surfers do that includes Zinc Oxide. I am using SPF 50 kid’s mineral-based sunscreen lotion from Simple Truth.  It is broad spectrum with Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide.  It has both UVA and UVB protection and is hypo allergic and reef friendly.  My only issue with this kind of block is that the lotion is so waterproof that I feel it doesn’t feel as natural when you sweat.  Apparently,  When you apply an SPF, the skin’s surface smoothens, and the droplets tend to come together and form bigger droplets (think raindrops on glass).  Depending on how hard you are working, you can feel a bit surprised by the way the water builds.

Here is a great article on sunscreen from consumer reports to get up to speed on all the ingredients used.

10.  Tourna Ball Hopper

Our preferred ball carrier is this Tourna Ballport which comes in plastic (boo) but is lightweight and holds 80 balls.  The wheels are a godsend and help on those long days of serve practice for your tired arm or lifting it in and out of the truck! It’s also available in blue red and black for some festival fun.

It works just as well as any of the cheaper metal hoppers but just does it better in all areas.  There is a bit of assembly required but nothing an Ikea master can’t handle!  Available on Amazon here:  https://amzn.to/35wnhAl

BONUS:  Logo Hat from your favorite player:  Sweat Wicking is preferred

Saving the best for last, this one is a no brainer.  If your tennis player is a fan of the sport then they definitely have a favorite player.  Once you learn that, you just search online and the options are endless.  There are however tons of counterfeit items made so make sure to get the brand that sponsors the athlete if you find it.

Currently, at the time of this article, of the top players, Roger Federer is sponsored by Uniqlo, Rafael Nadal is sponsored by Nike, Novak Djokovic is sponsored by Lacoste.  Search for your favorite player by simply putting their name and the word sponsor.   In regards to material, if the player wants to use it for tennis, it’s much better to have a had that is made of a sweat-wicking material that doesn’t absorb the moisture and feel like a bucket at the end of the match.

Hope you enjoyed this list of potential gift ideas.  Do you have a suggestion?  Leave it in the comments so we can learn from you!.  Thanks for reading.