As excitement buzzes around the first week of Wimbledon, watching the world’s best players battle it out on Centre Court may be all the inspiration you need to pick up a racket yourself.
Dan Bloxham, head coach at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), and the master of ceremonies for The Championships, Wimbledon highlights how people of all ages can reap the benefits of tennis.
“It’s a sport you can play from three until you’re 93, if you’re lucky, and if you invest time in developing your tennis, it will give you rewards throughout your whole life,” says Bloxham.
“Tennis requires you to use your body in different ways – such as moving forward, going backwards, side to side – and then there’s also the scoring, the tactics and the emotions of winning and losing, which are all things that are really great at keeping your mind and body sharp.”
He adds that playing tennis is also a fantastic way to build friendships.
“You can go to any club in the world and make friends and I think that, in this day and age connecting with people, is so vital,” says Bloxham.
If this year’s prestigious tournament has tempted you to book a slot at your local tennis court for the first time, here are Bloxham’s eight top tips to set you up for success…
1. Start with transition balls
Transition tennis balls can help you develop proper technique, build confidence, and sustain longer rallies without being overwhelmed by a fast pace.
“If you’re really not confident, you might want to consider playing with red balls to start with which, compared to standard yellow balls, are much bigger and have a much slower bounce,” suggests Bloxham.
2. Wear light breathable fabrics
Wearing the right kit can make a difference to your comfort on court.
“You definitely need something with pockets to put your tennis balls in, and you ideally want fabrics that are light and take the moisture away from your body, which all of the Wimbledon Collection does,” recommends Bloxham.
“In this hot weather, I would also recommend wearing light colours rather than dark colours and most importantly make sure you wear something that you feel comfortable in because it is a very physical sport.”
3. Spend money on socks
“One thing I would particularly look out for is good socks, because good socks make a big difference to how you connect with the floor,” recommends Bloxham.
“When you play tennis on a hard court you have no softening with your landing, so if you have good socks and good shoes they will act as cushioning blocks between your body and the hard surface.”
4. Focus on technique rather than power
“Tennis is about athleticism and speed, but you need technique, otherwise it doesn’t work,” says Bloxham. “You can’t just smack it. You’ve got to have the right technique, the right swing and the right grip.
“Making every ball and finding a rhythm is really important in tennis. If you’re hitting it out all the time in a game, the people you’re playing with won’t have much fun.”
5. Think about your angles
“With tennis, you have to design your own angles,” says Bloxham. “You need one angle for your forehand, a different angle of the racket face for your backhand, then the volley is a different angle, and the serve is also another angle.
“That’s why you’ll see the players spinning the rackets in the hands. If you watch carefully, their base hand moves to change the angle of the shot, and that’s how they create the spins, which creates the opportunity to hit the tennis ball really hard.”
6. Take your time with the serve
“It’s the toughest shot and the most important shot, without the serve you can’t start the game,” says Bloxham. “Stay calm and take your time. You need to get the ball in the right place, so try and have a routine.
“You are looking to push the ball up in the air nice and slowly just above your head, to the right-hand side if you are right-handed, and to the left-hand side if you are left handed.
“Also, try and keep the racket moving. Keep it swinging and stay very tall.”
7. Keep moving your feet
“Getting the ball in the right place to create the contact point is all about good footwork, which is really important,” says Bloxham. “If you don’t move, you can’t create the contact point. If you don’t have the contact point, you can’t be technical. If you can’t be technical, you can’t be tactical. And if you aren’t tactical, you probably won’t win many points.”
Grab a friend and do some footwork drills to get your feet moving around the court.
“Stand in the middle of the tee on the base line and get a friend to throw a ball and call the shot, so you have to react and move your feet if they call short forehand or deep backhand,” suggests Bloxham.
“The key is to have your feet working really hard while your upper body and head stay still.”
8. Check the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) website
“The LTA has a great website that has a list of all the tennis clubs in the country,” says Bloxham. “There’s so many tournaments and festivals going on at the moment and various clubs are opening their doors for free, so there’s lots of ways to get involved.”
The 2026 Wimbledon Retail Collection celebrates the long-standing traditions and styles that have defined the sport for generations. Priced from £8 to £155, the collection is available to purchase on-site at The Championships and online at shop.wimbledon.com.