This week we’re talking about how attending professional tennis tournaments can improve your game. This is the third episode we are dedicating to USTA’s National Tennis Month.

Professional Tournaments — Billie Jean King Cup and The Credit One Charleston Open

Carolyn recently went to the Billie Jean King Cup in Asheville, North Carolina. Erin attended The Credit One Charleston Open in Charleston, South Carolina. Mostly what we both learned by being at these professional tennis tournaments is that we shouldn’t take our tennis so seriously. We play adult recreational tennis and, although we are both not terrible players, we will never get to the level of professionals.

Have Fun on the Court

We are both 4.0 tennis players and have played for fun and in competitive USTA leagues for many years. For as much as we compete in our local areas against other players, we should, first and foremost, figure out how to have fun on the court when playing. We are not playing for a title or for money. Sometimes recreational players forget that and end up not having fun.

Although our tennis game will never be as good as professionals, watching them play at tournaments is helpful. By watching pros, you can see how they conduct themselves on the court. You can see their mental strength (or mental breakdown), you can see how long they take between points, when they go to their towels or play with their racquets, etc.

It’s also easier to see how the receive the ball in person. Often when watching tennis matches on tv, the server is shown and not the receiver. It’s fun to see the nuances of the game that you can get from sitting on a couch watching on your television.

What Should I Watch for at Professional Tennis Tournaments to Improve My Game?

Another interesting thing we learned at the Billie Jean King Cup and at The Credit One Charleston Open was there are good places to sit and some places that aren’t as good. Sitting in the upper section anywhere makes it easier to see the court. Sitting in a lower section is great if you want to be close to the action or close to the players but it’s harder to watch the match from that vantage point. The ball goes so quickly that we don’t recommend sitting in the middle if you are sitting down low. Sit on one end or the other like they way you would watch a match on tv. Carolyn noticed that the important people (like Billie Jean!) sit in the lower section on one end of the court. Very smart and very VIP!

The Best Thing About Attending Professional Tennis Tournaments

One of the best things about how attending professional tennis tournaments can improve your game is not playing tennis at all and just relaxing with friends! Carolyn and Erin have gone out of town to play state tournaments and it can be stressful. You can take your racquet with you when you attend professional tennis tournaments, but you can hit for fun and not for competition. That’s the best type of tennis in our opinions!

What professional tournaments have you attended? What are your favorites and what did you learn by being there? We’d love to hear from you!