Tennis creates a nutrition problem that team sports don't: there's no fixed finishing time. A match can be over in 40 minutes or run past two hours, a junior tournament day can mean one match or three, and there's no half-time built into the format — just short changeovers and set breaks. That unpredictability is the single biggest thing to plan around. This guide covers training-day and tournament-day nutrition for young tennis players ages 6-16, sourced from UK government dietary guidance.
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Training-day nutrition
Tennis training mixes technical drilling, footwork and conditioning, and — for competitive juniors — increasingly demanding on-court sessions. A proper meal 2-3 hours before training (carbohydrate plus protein — pasta with chicken, rice with fish, a jacket potato with beans) supports both the technical and physical sides of the sport. Water throughout the day, a light carbohydrate snack in the hour before if training is after school, and a protein-and-carbohydrate snack within an hour of finishing round this out.
Matchday nutrition: fuelling for an unknown duration
2-3 hours before
A carbohydrate-focused meal with moderate protein, low in fat and fibre so it digests fully before play — pasta with a light sauce, rice with grilled chicken, or a bagel with a light filling. Because a match could run well over an hour, this meal needs to fuel further ahead than a shorter-format sport would require.
60-90 minutes before
A small, easily-digested carbohydrate top-up — a banana, a plain cereal bar, or a small handful of dried fruit — with steady water intake.
During the match: changeovers and set breaks
Tennis is unusual in building small breaks directly into the format — a 90-second changeover every two games, and a longer break at each set. These are genuine fuelling opportunities, not just rest: use them for a few sips of water (or, for a long match in warm conditions, a diluted sports drink) rather than waiting until the end of the match to rehydrate. For matches running past an hour, a small piece of banana or a few dried apricots at a set break helps maintain energy without needing a full break in play.
Tournament days: managing multiple matches
Junior tournaments frequently mean more than one match in a day — a morning singles match followed by an afternoon doubles match, or a round-robin format with matches spaced closer together than a single scheduled fixture would suggest. Between matches, prioritise easily-digested carbohydrate (a banana, a cereal bar, a small sandwich if there's a longer gap) and steady water over a large meal, which can leave a player sluggish for the next match. If the gap between matches is uncertain — common at junior tournaments where scheduling runs behind — pack snacks and water for the whole day rather than assuming there'll be a set break to eat properly.
Recovery after training and matches
The 30-60 minute window after a hard session or a match is when the body is primed to begin recovery — a combined protein-and-carbohydrate snack or meal (chocolate milk, a sandwich, a yoghurt with fruit) supports this well, and matters more after a long match or a multi-match tournament day than after a routine training session. Continued hydration through the rest of the day is particularly important after a match that ran long or was played in the heat, where fluid losses can be higher than they appear.
Girls playing tennis
Tennis asks for sustained concentration and repeated effort across matches that can run well past an hour, and both suffer when iron is low.
From around 12, once periods begin, the reference intake rises to 14.8mg a day against 11.3mg for boys. The effect in tennis is less about raw speed and more about the third set — decision-making, footwork and consistency dropping away later in a match, which almost always gets attributed to fitness or nerves.
Red meat two or three times a week, alongside lentils, beans, fortified cereals and dark greens, paired with something containing vitamin C.
Worth a GP conversation rather than guesswork: unusual tiredness despite sleeping well, recovery between sessions getting slower, performance dipping without an obvious reason, looking pale, or concentration dropping off. Any of those in a girl in regular training is worth an iron test before it gets put down to fitness.
Energy needs differ from the boys' figures too, and are set out by age on our nutrition by age guides.
And never restrict. A girl in regular training needs more food, not less, and eating too little to cover both training and growth affects bone development, energy and injury risk. If periods become irregular or stop, that is a signal to see a GP — not something to train through.
Common mistakes
Under-fuelling for a match of unknown length. Because tennis has no fixed finishing time, the pre-match meal needs to cover the possibility of a long match, not just an average one — don't fuel a two-hour match like a 40-minute one.
Ignoring changeovers and set breaks as fuelling opportunities. These built-in breaks are there to be used — a few sips of water or a small snack at a set break keeps energy and hydration steadier than waiting for the match to finish.
Under-planning for tournament days with multiple matches. Round-robin and multi-match tournament formats need the same between-match snack and hydration planning as a swimming gala or rugby festival — pack for the whole day, not just one match.
Skipping recovery nutrition after a long or hot match. Fluid and energy losses in a match that runs long or is played in warm conditions can be higher than they look — treat recovery nutrition as more important after these matches, not less.
Free resources for young tennis players
Our free guide library covers age-banded nutrition targets and general sports fuelling principles that apply directly to tennis — get the free Hydration Guide while a dedicated tennis pack is developed.
Frequently asked questions
What should my child eat before a tennis match? A carbohydrate-focused meal 2-3 hours before (pasta with a light sauce, rice with chicken, a bagel with a light filling), and a small easily-digested snack 60-90 minutes before, with steady water throughout.
Can my child eat or drink during a match? Yes — changeovers and set breaks are genuine opportunities for water or a diluted sports drink, and a small snack like banana at a set break for matches running past an hour. These breaks exist partly for this reason.
How should my child eat at a tournament with multiple matches in a day? Prioritise light, easily-digested snacks and steady water between matches over large meals. Pack for the whole day, since gaps between matches at junior tournaments are often unpredictable.
Why does my child seem much more tired after some matches than others? Match duration in tennis varies hugely, and fuelling that only accounts for an average-length match will fall short in a long one — plan the pre-match meal and on-court fuelling for the possibility of a longer match, not just a typical one.
Does the heat affect tennis nutrition differently to other sports? Outdoor tennis in warm weather increases fluid needs meaningfully, and because matches can run long, those losses accumulate over a longer period than in a fixed-length team sport — use every changeover and set break to keep drinking.
Reviewed against NHS Eatwell Guide and UK Reference Nutrient Intake guidance. This page provides general educational guidance and is not a substitute for advice from a GP, registered dietitian, or sports nutritionist.