Tennis Christmas gifts: 10 ideas a player will actually use
Tennis players have opinions about everything: their racquet, their tension, their ball brand, the right way to wrap an overgrip. That's what makes them hard to shop for. Here are 10 ideas that pass the racquet bag test, from stocking stuffers to the gift that stands out, with what a coach would check before buying.
✦ The short version
- For a beginner: a case of fresh balls, overgrips and a dampener
- For a league player: a restring at their stringer, or something to film their sessions
- For a competitor: a video analysis, or a racquet only if they picked it themselves
- To make them smile: the tennis bracelet, the only piece of jewellery named after the sport
The safest gift is one that wears out: it never ends up as a duplicate.
Why tennis has never been easier to gift
Tennis is having a second boom. New players need the essentials, while long-time players have very precise preferences. The right gift isn't the same for both.
Americans played tennis in 2025, a sixth straight year of growth, including 4.9 million playing for the first time.
USTA and Physical Activity Council, 2026
Canadians played tennis in 2025, with more than a million new players since 2023. Tennis is now the country's third most played sport.
Tennis Canada and YouGov, 2026
Of Canadian players started more than ten years ago. They know what they like, which is why you shouldn't buy their gear blind.
Tennis Canada and YouGov, 2026
Of recreational players will get tennis elbow at some point. A good grip and fresh strings don't fix everything, but they help arm comfort.
Roetert et al., Clinics in Sports Medicine, 1995
Before you buy: a coach's three questions
Thirty seconds of detective work saves you from the gift that sits in the closet. Ask these questions, or take a discreet look in their bag.
- What surface do they play on? Indoor, hard court or clay: it changes the balls, the shoes and how fast strings wear.
- How often? Once a week or four times a week isn't the same need for balls, overgrips and restrings.
- What's in their bag? A blackened overgrip, a missing dampener, frayed strings. Every detail is a clue.
Which tennis Christmas gift fits which player
| Player | Probably already has | Give them |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner, under a year | A starter racquet, an old can of balls | Fresh balls, overgrips, a dampener |
| League player | A favourite racquet, a regular stringer | A restring, a phone mount, a journal |
| Competitor, tournaments and UTR | Gear tuned to the last detail | Video analysis, a case of balls, a racquet only if they choose it |
| Snowbird who plays south in winter | A sunburnt forearm | UV sleeves, an insulated bottle |
| The fan who has everything | Everything but a keepsake | The tennis bracelet |
Stocking stuffers
Small size, big use. These are the gifts that get used most often, precisely because they wear out.
Overgrips
An overgrip wraps over the racquet's original grip. It absorbs sweat, restores tack and slightly thickens the handle. Pros change it every match; a regular player should change it as soon as it turns smooth or dark.
- Why it's a good gift: it wears out, so it's never a duplicate
- What to check: the colour, nothing else
- Bonus: an overgrip adds a little thickness, handy for a handle that feels a bit thin
A slipping hand squeezes harder. A fresh overgrip lets the player relax their grip, and a relaxed grip means more racquet head speed and less tension travelling up the forearm.
Racquet View Overgrips
A pack of three, in white or green. A tacky surface that absorbs sweat well, thin enough to keep the feel of the handle.
Shop the overgrips →A vibration dampener
The small piece of silicone that sits between the strings near the bottom of the string bed. It cuts string vibration, so the "ping" at contact and part of the feel. Many players won't play without one, and they lose one every season.
- Who it's for: the player who likes a muted feel, or who lost theirs on court
- Where it goes: between the two centre mains, below the last cross string
- Good to know: it changes the sound and feel. For arm comfort, tension, string type and grip size are what really matter
Racquet View Dampener
A minimalist design in soft silicone that snaps easily between the strings and stays put during play.
Shop the dampener →A case of fresh balls
A pressurized tennis ball loses its bounce a few sessions after the can is opened, even if the felt still looks fine. Most recreational players play with dead balls without knowing it, and make up for it by swinging harder.
- Give a case: several cans means a season of fresh balls instead of one session
- Hard courts: extra duty balls, with thicker, more durable felt
- Indoor and clay: regular duty balls, which pick up less clay
- Ball machine: pressureless balls, which keep their bounce much longer
Check which brand their club or league uses. Giving them that one means their practice feels like their matches.
Under the tree
The heart of the list: gifts a player almost never buys for themselves, but will use for a long time.
A tennis bracelet
The only piece of jewellery named after the sport. As the story is most often told, the name comes from Chris Evert, who stopped a match at the 1987 US Open to find the bracelet that had fallen from her wrist. Ever since, a continuous line of stones has been called a tennis bracelet.
- Made to play in: 304 surgical-grade stainless steel, hypoallergenic and tarnish resistant
- Holds up to: sweat, sunscreen, grip tape and the shower
- Two widths: 2 mm, discreet and easy to stack with a watch, or 3 mm, more visible
- Two colours: silver or gold
It's thin enough to wear under a wristband during play, and polished enough for dinner after the match. It's a gift that keeps tennis close even off the court.
Racquet View Tennis Bracelet
A continuous line of stones on stainless steel, flexible and lightweight, with a secure clasp built to stay put through a three-setter. Available in 2 mm or 3 mm, silver or gold.
Shop the bracelet →A phone mount to film their sessions
Almost no recreational player has ever watched themselves play. Two minutes of video show what you can't feel: a ball toss that changes on every serve, a contact point that's too late, feet that don't recover after the shot.
- On the fence: a side view for the serve and groundstrokes
- On the net: a front view, at the centre, on the white band
- Setup: a few seconds, no tripod, and safe on court
- No fence nearby: the phone holder water bottle films from the bench
The first thing to check on video: pause the serve at the top of the toss, on five serves. If the ball is never in the same spot, that's the first fix. Our serve analysis guide explains what to look at next.
Racquet View Phone Mount
Designed and made in Quebec. It clips to the net or the fence in seconds and keeps the phone steady, for the same angle week after week.
Shop the mount →A progress journal
The coach fixes the forehand on Tuesday. By Thursday, half of it is gone. A journal solves that: one goal before the session, five minutes of notes after, and a weekly reread.
- After each session: the goal of the day, what went well, what to improve
- Self-evaluation: confidence, focus, intensity, footwork, goal execution
- Format: 35 guided sessions, compact enough for the racquet bag
- Tested: by Florida Tennis Magazine, who pointed to exactly this problem of forgotten corrections
Tennis Progress Journal
35 guided sessions, a soft-touch cover and a structure built to keep the thread from one session to the next. The full method is in our progress journal article.
Shop the journal →A restring at their stringer
The gift almost nobody thinks of. A polyester string loses its elasticity long before it breaks. The player doesn't feel it coming, because the decline is gradual, but the ball comes off the strings with less life and contact feels harsher.
- The coaches' rule: restring as many times a year as you play per week
- How to give it: a gift card from their shop or stringer, so they keep their string and tension
- Avoid: choosing the string for them. It's as personal as the racquet
If their strings are frayed or don't snap back into place after a shot, a restring is the most useful gift on this list.
The gift that stands out
For the person who plays a lot, or who wants to reach the next level.
A new racquet
It's the most appreciated gift when it's well chosen, and the riskiest when it isn't. More than half of players have played for over ten years: they have precise preferences.
- Weight and balance: heavier brings stability and power; lighter is quicker, especially at the net
- Head size: a larger head is more forgiving, a smaller one gives more control
- String pattern: an open 16x19 gives more spin, a dense 18x20 more control
- Grip size: too small and they squeeze; too big and they lose the wrist
Don't buy it blind. Most shops run a demo racquet program. Give a gift card from the shop instead, with a note: let's go try some together.
A video analysis of their game
The player sends a short clip of a single stroke, a serve, a forehand or a backhand, and gets personalized feedback: what to fix first, what already works, and drills matched to their level.
- The clip: 2 to 5 seconds, one movement at a time
- Who it's for: the player who has plateaued for months without knowing why
- Last minute: nothing to ship, the perfect gift if you're running late
Racquet View Tennis Video Analysis
A second pair of eyes on their stroke, with concrete corrections and targeted drills. Perfect paired with the phone mount: they film, then get it analyzed.
Shop the video analysis →A starter kit
Everything needed to film, track progress and look after the racquet, in a single box. It's the most complete gift on the list for a tennis player.
- To film: the phone mount and the phone holder water bottle
- To improve: the 35-session guided journal and access to video analysis
- For the racquet: overgrips and a dampener
Racquet View Starter Kit
The phone mount, the bottle with phone holder, the progress journal, overgrips, a dampener and video analysis, all in one box to put under the tree.
Shop the kit →→ For the snowbird
Heading to Florida or Arizona to play this winter? Add the UV compression arm sleeves, UPF 50+, to protect their forearms through two hours of sun, with no sunscreen to reapply between sets.
Tennis gifts to avoid
What a coach sees come back every January, and almost never gets used.
- A racquet chosen from a photo: without knowing their weight, grip size and string pattern, it'll stay at the bottom of the bag
- Strings chosen for them: it's as personal as the racquet, give the restring, not the reel
- Bargain-bin balls: they lose their felt in one session on hard courts
- Cotton clothing: it holds sweat and gets heavy after twenty minutes. Go for a technical fabric
The video analysis and the digital guide to analyzing your game have nothing to ship. Otherwise, a gift card from their club or stringer always lands well.
→ Read also
Giving the journal? Include a link to the method for tracking progress in tennis: one goal before, five minutes after, one reread a week.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tennis Christmas gift for a beginner?
A case of fresh balls, overgrips and a vibration dampener. Skip the high-end racquet: a beginner won't feel the difference for several months.
How long do tennis balls last?
Once the can is opened, a pressurized ball loses its bounce within a few sessions, even if the felt still looks fine. That's why a case of several cans is a gift that lasts the whole season.
What do you buy a tennis player who has everything?
A tennis bracelet, a restring at their stringer or a video analysis of their game. These are gifts people almost never buy for themselves.
Is a tennis racquet a good gift?
Only if they chose it. An experienced player has precise preferences for weight, balance and grip size. Give a gift card from their shop instead, so they can try demo racquets.
What is a good last-minute tennis gift?
A video analysis or a digital guide, which have nothing to ship, or a gift card from their club or stringer.
Sources
- USTA and Physical Activity Council. 2026 U.S. Tennis Participation Report, 2025 data.
- Tennis Canada and YouGov. Tennis participation in Canada, 2025 data, published May 2026.
- Roetert E. P. et al. The biomechanics of tennis elbow: an integrated approach. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 1995.