How long do you think is too long for a bathroom break? Have you ever felt like an opponent took a bathroom break to change the course of a match?

In this tennis podcast, we are discussing Bathroom Breaks – How long is Too Long?

Tom and Dave are on the podcast to talk about this from a male perspective. Men and women’s recreational tennis is so different, and this is another topic that proves it.

Long Bathroom Breaks that Change the Outcome of a Tennis Match

For the most part, Tom and Dave think bathroom breaks in men’s matches isn’t an issue. Dave could only think of one time that a male opponent took a bathroom break (a very, very long one!) and it changed the course of their match. They had an opponent take a 20-minute bathroom break. Of course, once their opponent returned, Tom and Dave started to lose the match. It completely changed the momentum.

That’s the real reason for recording this episode on our tennis podcast. It’s very hard to figure out if people really need a bathroom break or if it’s just being used as a strategy.

Carolyn vs. the Pros

Carolyn said her husband has told her that she takes too long when she takes a bathroom break. She likes to change her clothes between sets. For her, it’s not a strategy to change the momentum in a match because she does it whether she loses the first set or wins it. It’s not strategy – it’s just a comfort thing.

This topic has come up a lot in professional tennis in the last year. Other tennis podcasts have discussed the topic as well. One online tennis journal Tennis365 wrote, “It remains to be seen what kind of reception Tsitsipas gets at Wimbledon with some supporters likely to remember his bathroom break saga in his US Open clash with British icon Andy Murray.”

Bathroom Breaks to Seek Coaching Advise

Coaching is not allowed in adult USTA matches but Erin thinks some players take bathroom breaks to seek coaching. Frankly, she has no problem with this as Erin thinks coaching should be allowed in adult recreation tennis anyway.

What’s the Rule for Bathroom Breaks?

Unfortunately, there’s no set rule in USTA adult recreational tennis matches. Carolyn thinks a rule should be set that a player gets 10 minutes maximum for a bathroom break. If you’ve listened to us long enough, you know that we love to discuss rules that we think should be changed.

Here are a few of those tennis podcast episodes:

There are so many times we’ve discussed rules. If you want to hear more, just use the search feature on our website and you’ll find them! We’re very passionate about rules 🙂