We take a look at what the science says about how to fuel tennis training and matches...
"}},"slug":"how-to-fuel-for-tennis","blogTags":"Nutrition","featuredPost":false,"author":{"name":"Nico Delaney","slug":"nico-delaney","facebookHandle":null,"twitterHandle":null,"instagramHandle":"https://www.instagram.com/nicodelaney_/","linkedInProfile":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-delaney-20676421b/","stravaProfile":null,"bio":{"childMarkdownRemark":{"html":"Nico Delaney is a Sport & Exercise Science student at the University of Bath in the UK.
\nHaving enjoyed a one-year placement with Precision Fuel & Hydration, he's helped numerous athletes refine their fuel and hydration strategies for training, racing and competitions. And during his studies, he continues to offer support to athletes on free one-to-one Video Consultations.
\nWhilst studying for his A-Levels (and achieving three Grade A results in Physical Education, Psychology and Biology), Nico was a ball boy at the Wimbledon tennis Grand Slam!
"}},"title":"Sports & Exercise Science Student","headshot":{"file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/428xzyjdw7rf/6Pfwfl84RoRGVSympm7vSD/1773994a65433b91a96dc2f6877161fb/TeamRoundal_copy.webp"}}},"scientificallyReviewed":null,"image":{"resize":{"src":"//images.ctfassets.net/428xzyjdw7rf/3KZ1oKDPY6S7Zclz0bfz0G/f59feb50a43e2dce1ec7721f17f572a8/How_to_fuel_tennis_blog_header_-_credit_PF_H.webp?w=1200&h=630&q=70&fit=fill","width":1200,"height":630}},"socialMediaImage":null,"body":{"childMarkdownRemark":{"excerpt":"Fueling in tennis has come a long way since the days when bananas were considered to be the only way to get through a match. Sure, they’re still a court-side…","html":"Fueling in tennis has come a long way since the days when bananas were considered to be the only way to get through a match. Sure, they’re still a court-side staple - players demolish ~30,000 of them during the Wimbledon fortnight - but modern sports nutrition has evolved well beyond fruit and good intentions…
\nWith each banana delivering just ~25g of carbohydrate, relying on them alone can mean you fall short of the energy requirements for your match, especially if you're playing for longer than 90 minutes.
\nThat’s why today’s players are stepping up their fueling game, with research showing ~81% of tennis players now use at least one nutrition supplement or ergogenic aid during matches, with sports drinks and energy gels leading the charge.
\nWe've previously explained how to hydrate your tennis matches, and here I’ve taken a look at how to fuel for optimal performance…
\nBack in 1999, the average men's Grand Slam match lasted ~2 hours, 21 minutes. Fast forward to today, and that’s crept closer to 3 hours. Women's matches haven’t seen quite the same shift, increasing just 5 minutes on average in the past 15 years (from 1 hour 35 to 1 hour 40). For men in particular, the rise in match length means one thing: fueling needs to keep up.
\nRecent research highlights just how energy-intensive the sport has become. Female players burn ~3,383 calories a day during training blocks, jumping to ~3,824 kcal/day during Wimbledon’s first week. Male players saw an even more dramatic increase, from ~3,712 kcal/day during lighter competition phases to a massive ~5,520 kcal/day during peak tournament play.
\nA review by Ranchordas et al. in 2013 found that energy expenditure during a match averages ~7.4 kcal/min for women and 10.8 kcal/min for men. In a 90-minute match, that equates to ~664 kcal for women and ~973 kcal for men, though this would vary based on body size and intensity of play.
\nIt’s not just match duration that affects energy demands. Playing style, surface, and match dynamics all play a role. For example, a player who employs a ‘baseline’ style will engage in longer, more frequent rallies, especially on clay, than serve-and-volley players on faster courts like grass. These extended rallies increase the percentage of active playing time and total match duration, further ramping up energy expenditure.
\nAs well as high energy demands, tennis players have several other factors to consider and navigate, including unpredictable start times, variable match durations, different court surfaces and sudden weather changes.
\nThat’s why, when it comes to fueling, the foundations are so important. As much as we’d love to predict every variable, having a flexible, strategic approach to nutrition gives you the best shot at staying fueled from the first serve, right up until the match point.
\nTennis is defined by short, explosive bursts of high-intensity effort, broken up by brief active recovery and longer passive rest periods (typically 60-90 seconds between games and sets).
\nDespite this stop-start nature, matches can stretch beyond three hours. So, athletes will rely heavily on glycogen stores to fuel repeated, high-intensity efforts over extended durations.
\nIn the 24 hours leading up to the match, carb-loading by aiming for ~8-12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight is essential to maximise glycogen stores in the muscles and the liver before you get on court.
\nOn match day, it’s then important to top-up your liver glycogen stores:
\nResearch from the 1990s showed that blood glucose levels remain stable during matches under 90 minutes, but beyond that, they tend to decline. The decrease in blood glucose can be detrimental for physical performance. Mid-match carb supplementation enhances running speed, improves serve and return accuracy, and helps players to maintain a higher intensity for longer.
\nA study by Davey et al. in 2010 found that tennis-specific fatigue caused groundstroke accuracy to drop by 69% and serve accuracy by 30%. Since glucose is the brain’s main fuel, maintaining carb intake and availability isn’t just beneficial for physical performance; it’s key in maintaining focus and technical execution under pressure.
\nFor matches expected to last 1-2 hours:
\nFor matches expected to last >2 hours:
\nWhy you should use multiple transportable carbohydrates:
\nTo push beyond the 60g/h carb intake without upsetting your stomach, using a mix of sugars (glucose and fructose) is helpful. These use different absorption pathways and allow you to take in more fuel without overloading your gut.
\nTraining your gut by regularly consuming carbs and gradually increasing quantities during high-intensity training sessions will help your digestive system adapt, reducing the risk of GI issues and enabling you to fuel effectively without discomfort.
\nSo, whether you're stepping on court for a 90-minute training session or preparing for a marathon five-setter, dialing in your carb intake is one of the easiest ways to keep your game sharp from first serve to final point.
\nUnless you’re first on court, your exact start time is going to be relatively unknown and could be in the afternoon or late into the evening. You might be told to be “ready in 10”, only for the match before yours stretch into a marathon deciding set.
\nThis unpredictability can make pre-match fueling tricky. The key? Stick to your usual meal routine while making small adjustments to timing, portion size, and food choices. Avoid major changes, like skipping meals or trying unfamiliar foods, as these could increase the risk of gut issues and poor fueling execution.
\nIn general:
\nThe tricky part comes when your estimated match start time keeps getting delayed and you risk either stepping on court under-fueled or overly full, neither of which sets you up for peak performance.
\nSo, how do you manage the wait?
\nKeep the fuel trickling in, in small, controlled doses of carbs every 15-20 minutes. Something like half a PF 30 Chew would work well. This drip-feed approach helps maintain blood glucose levels without overloading your gut.
\nThen, once you finally get the nod, take a final 30g hit of carbs. A PF 30 Caffeine Gel is a great option - giving you both a last-minute glucose and a hit of caffeine to sharpen your focus and get you primed to perform.
\nOne of the first things endurance athletes factor into their fueling strategy is event duration - something far less predictable in tennis. Unlike a marathon or cycling race with a set distance or time, tennis matches can last from under an hour to well over four hours, making fueling decisions more complex.
\nWhile research on in-match fueling is limited, drawing on principles from endurance sports is helpful for guidance.
\nResearch indicates that blood glucose levels in tennis players generally remain stable during matches lasting less than 90 minutes. However, there’s a subtle downward trend that becomes more significant the longer play continues, pointing to an increased risk of energy depletion.
\nAlthough not in tennis, Coyle et al. (1986) showed that in cycling, when muscle glycogen is depleted, a high carbohydrate intake helps maintain blood glucose levels and sustain performance. While the nature of tennis is slightly more intermittent than cycling, the underlying metabolic principles apply - especially in long, physically demanding matches. Until more sport-specific data emerges, these endurance frameworks provide practical recommendations for on-court carbohydrate strategies.
\n| Expected Match Duration | \nCarbohydrate Intake Recommendation | \nNotes | \n
|---|---|---|
| Less than 90 minutes | \nOptional, but light fueling up to 30g/h | \nBlood glucose tends to remain stable; low risk of depletion | \n
| Up to ~2-3 hours | \n60g/h | \nSupports energy levels and delays fatigue | \n
| Above 3 hours | \n90g/h | \nHelps sustain performance during prolonged and high-intensity matches | \n
At the highest level of tennis, the playing surface significantly influences the physical demands of the game, impacting both the intensity and duration of rallies.
\nClay courts, in particular, tend to produce longer rallies - averaging around 8.5 seconds, compared to 5.9 seconds on hard courts. They also lead to a higher effective playing time, with players actively competing for roughly 26% of the match on clay, versus 19% on hard courts. This means matches on clay generally are more physically demanding, requiring sustained effort over longer periods, and placing greater strain on energy reserves.
\nResearch shows that matches on clay courts involve ~248 more metres of running and an 8bpm higher average heart rate throughout, compared with those on hard courts. That said, only 14% of elite players report adjusting their carbohydrate intake when competing on clay.
\nIf you’re playing on slower surfaces like clay:
\nWhile tennis presents its own unique fuel and hydration challenges, one significant advantage that many endurance athletes would envy, is the regular breaks between games and sets.
\nUnlike runners, triathletes or cyclists, who must eat and drink on the move, tennis players get frequent opportunities to sit down, refuel, and rehydrate. The brief pauses in play offer an opportunity to take on carbs while minimising the risk of gut discomfort often associated with eating while exercising.
\nInterestingly, recent research in endurance cycling has shown that larger carbohydrate doses at less frequent intervals - such as 45g every 30 minutes - can be a practical and well-tolerated strategy, with no meaningful negative impact on physiological responses or GI comfort compared to more frequent feeding. While this hasn’t been specifically tested in tennis, it suggests that structured breaks could support effective fueling without the need for constant intake.
\nThese breaks also offer a chance to consume more real food, which can help prevent flavour fatigue - a common issue when relying solely on sweet sports nutrition products over extended periods. Since matches can last for several hours, incorporating a variety of carb sources can improve both palatability and overall energy availability.
\nCaffeine is one of the most well-researched and effective legal performance enhancers, and tennis players can benefit significantly from using it. Studies have shown that caffeine intake significantly improved overall performance in female players, leading to more match wins.
\nWith other research finding increased shot success rates during simulated play. Additionally, it has been shown to boost serve velocity in the later stages of the match, compared with a placebo.
\nHow much caffeine? And when?
\nFor tennis players, a typical effective caffeine dose is ~3-6 milligrams of caffeine per kg of body weight, depending on individual tolerance.
\nResearch shows that ~99% of caffeine is absorbed within 45-60 minutes, with performance benefits kicking in as early as 15-20 minutes post-consumption.
\nGiven its half-life of ~4-5 hours, a pre-match dose is usually sufficient for most matches. But, for longer, 2-3 hour matches, players may want to opt for a second dose later on. What works best differs between people, so individual trial and error in training is key.
\n