What Should You Eat Before a Tennis Tournament?

Tennis requires endurance, strength and agility and prior to a big tennis tournament, tennis players should eat accordingly to give them the strength and energy they need. Different types of foods provide different benefits to a tennis player before a match.

  1. Types

    • A tennis player needs different types of foods to fulfill different functions. Before a match, players should eat a meal high in complex carbohydrates, which give the muscles strength to work, according to Tennis Server. The meal should be between 500 and 700 calories and include complex carbs such as whole grain pastas, rice and bread.

    Timing

    • When a player eats is just as important as what they eat before a tournament. Players should ideally eat between two and three hours before the first match, so food has time to properly digest, states the United States Tennis Association. If the matches begins first thing in the morning, players should eat the high carb meal the night before for dinner and stick with a light breakfast of protein and carbs.

    Other Considerations

    • Keeping hydrated is also important before a tennis tournament. Tennis players should drink two to three glasses of water right before the first match. Continual hydration during the match is also important and tennis players should aim to drink the equivalent of two glasses of water every half hour.