Questions to Ask a Tennis Player
These are for anyone about to talk with someone who plays tennis seriously, at any level from junior tournaments to the tour: writing a profile for the school paper, recording a podcast, waiting for a word after a clinic, or sharing a bench at the club. The list runs in the order a good conversation tends to take: how they started, the game they play, training and coaches, match day and the mental side of being alone on court, tournaments and travel, then tennis away from competition. Take a few from each group instead of reading down the page, and go gently on rankings and losses when the player is young.
The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
Starting out
Who first put a racket in your hand, and how old were you?
Why ask it
Tennis nearly always begins with a person: a parent who played on weekends, an older sibling's lesson, a coach running a free session at a park. Write the name down, because it gives you someone to return to when you ask who still watches their matches.
Where did you learn to play: a club, a public court, a school team or a wall?
Why ask it
The setting tells you about access and cost without a question about money. A player who spent years hitting against a garage door and one who grew up inside an academy both enjoy telling it, and the second half of your interview will make more sense once you know which.
When did tennis stop being one of several sports and become the only one?
Why ask it
Many players can name the season they gave up soccer, swimming or basketball. Ask what tipped it: a result, a coach's remark, or the discovery that they liked having nobody to share the ball with.
Which player did you copy as a kid, and what of theirs is still in your game?
Why ask it
The borrowed piece tends to be small, such as a service stance, a grunt or the way they bounce the ball before serving. At a clinic, ask them to show you the copied move next to their own version of it.
What do you remember about your first tournament match?
Why ask it
Hardly anyone remembers the score. What comes back is the strangeness: keeping count out loud, calling an opponent's ball out for the first time, a parent trying to look calm behind the fence. It is a good early question because the story is usually funny and costs them nothing to tell.
Which early win told you that you could play at the level above?
Why ask it
Look for a specific opponent and a specific court, not a trophy. If they name a match they lost narrowly to someone much better, keep that: players often date their belief from a close defeat.
What do you get from tennis that a team sport could not give you?
Why ask it
Control is the usual word: every point is theirs to win or lose, with nobody to pass to. Keep the exact phrase they use, because you can hand it back when you reach the questions about being alone on court in a match that is going badly.
Their game
How would you describe your game to someone who has never watched you play?
Why ask it
Let them choose the label, whether that is baseliner, counterpuncher, serve and volley or all-court, then ask whether their opponents would describe them the same way. The gap between the two descriptions is often the most quotable line of the interview.
Which shot do you trust most when the score is tight?
Why ask it
What a player hits at 30-all is their real strength, whatever they spend most time practicing. The natural follow-up is which shot they try to keep away from at the same score.
Which shot of another player's would you take if you could swap one?
Why ask it
A light question that works as an admission of weakness without sounding like one. If they name someone they play regularly instead of a famous professional, you have also found out who they measure themselves against.
What is your favorite surface, and what does it let you do?
Why ask it
Clay, grass and hard courts change the bounce and the footing, so a preference usually follows from style: a patient player with heavy topspin and a flat hitter seldom pick the same one. If they have only ever played on one surface, ask which they are most curious about.
Is your backhand one-handed or two-handed, and did anyone ever try to change it?
Why ask it
Most players settled this as children, often because a coach decided for them. The story of who chose, and whether there was a year of arguing about it, tells you how much say they have had in their own technique.
Talk me through your serve, from the first bounce of the ball to the toss.
Why ask it
The serve is the one shot that starts from a standstill, so nearly everyone has a fixed routine: a set number of bounces, a breath, a look at the target. Count along as they describe it, then ask what happens to the routine at set point down.
How fussy are you about your racket, strings and tension?
Why ask it
Start with what is in the bag today: how many rackets, when they were last strung, and whether they would notice if someone swapped one. If you are a beginner hoping for a recommendation, ask what they would suggest for you and not what they use, because a setup tuned for their swing rarely suits a new player.
Singles or doubles: which do you prefer, and what does each one ask of you?
Why ask it
Doubles players talk about angles, the net and a partner's moods, and singles players about legs and patience. Someone who plays both can tell you which habits carry across and which get them into trouble.
What has changed most in your game over the last couple of seasons?
Why ask it
A good answer names a before and an after: a second serve that used to be attacked, a net game that did not exist. Ask who noticed first, since it is often an opponent.
What kind of opponent is most awkward for you: a lefty, a big server, someone who gets everything back?
Why ask it
Every player has a matchup they would pay to avoid, and naming a type is easier than naming a person. Then ask what the plan is when the draw gives them that opponent anyway.
Training
What does a practice session look like when there is no match coming up?
Why ask it
Sessions far from a tournament are where technique gets rebuilt, so this is when you hear about baskets of serves and one shot repeated for an hour. Compare it later with what they do the day before a match, which is usually much lighter.
Which drill do you dread, and which could you do all afternoon?
Why ask it
The dreaded drill is usually the one that is working. Asking for both gets a laugh and lets them admit that some of the sport is plain boring.
How much of your week is hitting, and how much is footwork, gym and recovery?
Why ask it
People picture tennis training as hours of rallying, and the split often surprises them. Ask for rough hours and not a philosophy, and check whether the off-court work was their idea or a coach's.
Which injury has taught you the most about looking after your body?
Why ask it
Leave the choice of injury to them and do not press on anything they are dealing with now. The story usually ends in a small daily habit, a band for the shoulder or ten minutes on the floor after practice, that they once skipped and now would not miss.
Who do you hit with, and how hard is it to find a partner at the right level?
Why ask it
In an individual sport nobody is assigned to practice with you, so a good hitting partner is worth protecting. The answer brings out friendships, rivalries and sometimes a parent who still feeds balls from a basket.
What is your coach working on with you at the moment, and do you agree with it?
Why ask it
The second half is where the interest is. A player who can explain the reasoning and still say which part they doubt has a working relationship with the coach, and one who only repeats the instruction may be earlier in it.
How many coaches have you had, and what did you take from each change?
Why ask it
Changing coaches is common in tennis and can be a sore subject, so ask about what they learned and leave the reasons for leaving to them. If there has only ever been one coach, ask what that person understood about them from the start.
Do you watch video of your own matches, and what do you look for?
Why ask it
Players who watch usually look for something narrow, such as where the second serve landed or how far behind the baseline they drifted, and that detail shows what they are worried about. If they never watch, ask who tells them what happened out there, since somebody has to.
How do you practice the moments only a match produces, like a second serve at break point?
Why ask it
Pressure is hard to rehearse, and players invent ways: practice sets with a penalty, starting every game at 30-40, playing for who buys lunch. If they say it cannot be practiced, ask how they learned it instead.
Match day
What do you do in the half hour before you walk on court?
Why ask it
Listen for the order of things: the warm-up, the music, the last thing they eat, who they talk to or avoid. Tennis adds a complication, because the start often depends on when the match before theirs finishes, so ask how they stay ready without burning energy.
What do you say to yourself between points?
Why ask it
Between points a player has a few seconds and their own voice for company. Ask for the real words, including the unkind ones, and whether the talk changes after a double fault.
Tennis leaves you on your own out there. What is that like when a match is slipping away?
Why ask it
No substitution and no teammate to hide behind means the problem has to be solved by the person who is having it. Whether a coach may speak to them mid-match depends on the level and the event, so ask how it works where they play before assuming either way.
How do you handle a line call you are sure was wrong?
Why ask it
At many junior and club matches players call their own lines, while bigger events have officials or electronic calling, so first ask which applies to them. The answer then shows temperament: who lets it go, who asks for a referee and who carries it for three more games.
How does your game change in wind, in heat or under lights?
Why ask it
Outdoor tennis hands players conditions no practice plan covers: a toss that drifts, sun in the eyes at one end, a ball that feels heavier on a damp evening. Ask which end of their home court they would choose to serve from first, and you will get a reason that has nothing to do with the opponent.
What is it like to serve for a match?
Why ask it
No clock runs out in tennis, so a lead has to be finished one point at a time, and plenty of players find the last game harder than all the ones before it. Ask about a time they got tight and what they changed the next time they stood there.
Tell me about your best comeback. What did you change in the middle of it?
Why ask it
Comebacks are usually tactical before they are heroic: standing further back to return, going to the weaker wing, slowing the pace. If they say they just kept fighting, ask what the other player started doing differently.
Which loss stayed with you longest, and what do you do differently because of it?
Why ask it
Ask this only once the conversation is warm, and let them choose the match. The useful half is the change that followed, whether a new routine or a fitness block, and if they turn quiet, move on to the rival question.
Who is your rival, and what does playing them bring out in you?
Why ask it
A tennis rivalry is personal in a way a team one is not, since the same two people keep meeting across a net. Ask for the head-to-head as they remember it, then what they would say to that player if the two of them were having this conversation.
How do you deal with an opponent who stalls, celebrates your errors or questions every call?
Why ask it
Gamesmanship turns up in competitive tennis at most levels, and players have firm views on where the line is. You will also learn whether they have ever been the one accused of it.
What do you always do at a changeover?
Why ask it
The sit-down between games is full of small habits: which side the bag goes on, when the towel comes out, a sip from each bottle in order. It makes a light question after the heavier ones, and the follow-up is what they think about on that chair when they are losing.
Does it matter to you who is watching: a parent, a coach, a full stand, nobody?
Why ask it
A fan can put this one to direct use, since it tells you whether to cheer or sit still. Follow up with where they look after a big point: toward the people they came with, or down at their strings. A junior's answer about parents can be very frank, so take it without comment.
Tournaments
What is your favorite tournament to play, and which one do you dream of playing?
Why ask it
The favorite is rarely the biggest. It tends to be the one with good practice courts, a host family they like or the site where they first won a round, and those details are what a profile needs. For the dream, the four majors are the obvious picks, so ask why that one over the other three.
What are you chasing this season: a ranking, a place in a particular draw, or something in your own game?
Why ask it
A result goal and a game goal need different follow-ups. For the first, ask what stands between them and it; for the second, how they will know it has happened. With a junior, lead with the game and let any number come from them.
What does a tournament week look like, from the day you arrive to your last match?
Why ask it
Ask for the dull parts as well: finding a practice court, checking the draw, laundry, where they eat. The length of the week depends on how far they go in the event, which means a player can pack for seven days and be home after one.
Who travels with you to tournaments, and what is their job on the day?
Why ask it
It might be a parent who drives and books the rooms, a coach, a teammate or nobody at all. For a junior this is the gentlest way to learn how the family is involved, and for an adult it shows how much of the organizing they carry themselves.
How do you fill the time during a rain delay or when the match before yours runs long?
Why ask it
Waiting is a large part of tournament tennis and nobody trains for it. Cards, naps, a second warm-up and then a third: the answer is often comic, and it shows how they manage nerves with nothing to hit.
What do you do between matches when you have to play again the next day, or later the same day?
Why ask it
Tournament tennis can mean a long match followed by another with little rest, sometimes with doubles on top. You are after the practical sequence: food, stretching, sleep, and how they decide whether to hit at all the next morning.
How do rankings or ratings work at your level, and how often do you check yours?
Why ask it
The systems differ by country, age group and organization, so let the player explain theirs and do not guess. How often they look at the number is the personal half of the question, and with younger players it is kinder to stop at the explanation.
Have you played on a team, for a school, a college or a league, and how is that different from playing for yourself?
Why ask it
Team tennis puts an individual sport inside a lineup, with teammates shouting from the next court and a result that depends on other people's matches. Players who have done both usually have a clear favorite and a clear reason.
What gets squeezed when you are away at tournaments: school, work, friends, sleep?
Why ask it
Below the professional level a tennis calendar is fitted around another life, and the squeeze is specific: homework in the car, shifts swapped, birthdays missed. If the player is a student, ask how their teachers or professors handle the absences, since that varies from one school to the next.
Off court
What do you do on a day with no tennis in it at all?
Why ask it
If they cannot name the last one, that is an answer too, and worth a follow-up about who sets the schedule. When there is a regular day off, what fills it is the quickest way to hear about the person who exists apart from the racket bag.
Have you ever needed time away from tennis, and what brought you back?
Why ask it
Save this for late in the conversation and accept a short reply. What brought them back is usually specific, such as a friend who needed a doubles partner or a hit with no score kept, and it shows what the sport gives them once results are taken out of it.
When you watch professional tennis, what are you looking at that a casual viewer misses?
Why ask it
Expect to hear about feet, return position and what happens on second serves more than the highlight winners. Take notes here if you are a fan, because it changes how you watch the next match on television.
What looks easy from the stands and is much harder than it looks?
Why ask it
This gives them the expert's chair. Returning a fast serve, hitting a second serve under pressure and judging a high ball in wind are frequent choices, and the explanation is often the clearest piece of teaching you will get from the whole conversation.
What should a beginner learn first, and what can wait?
Why ask it
Good for a clinic or a club chat, where you may be the beginner in question. The reply is usually less glamorous than hoped, something like a reliable rally ball or a serve that goes in, and it shows what they think the sport is built on.
People play tennis into their seventies and beyond. What do you hope your game looks like when you are older?
Why ask it
Few sports let you ask this, and it lifts the conversation away from results. Doubles with friends on a Saturday, coaching kids, or putting the racket away for good once the competing stops: whichever picture they give tells you what the sport is for in their life.
If you could replay one match of yours with a crowd watching, which would you pick?
Why ask it
A warm way to finish, because they get to end on a day they are proud of. It is often a match almost nobody saw, on a back court with one parent and a dog for an audience, and that detail makes a good last line for a profile.
Talking tennis with someone who plays it
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you walk over to the court
Know the scoring before you ask anything
Learn how games, sets and tiebreaks work, and what a break of serve is, before the conversation. A player asked to explain love and deuce will be polite about it, but you will have spent your first five minutes on something a rule sheet could have told you.
Find out where they compete
A twelve-year-old in local tournaments, a college player with a team schedule, a league regular and a touring professional live very different tennis lives. Ask early which events they play and how often, then choose questions that fit. Rankings, travel and money mean one thing on tour and something else entirely in a Saturday league.
Watch a few games first
If you can see them play, even for ten minutes of practice, do. One real observation, such as 'you stood a long way back to return', opens better than any prepared line, and it shows you were paying attention to them and not to a list.
Wait until the bag is zipped
Players are closed off before a match and raw just after a loss. The good windows are after practice, at a clinic's question time, or an hour or more after a match has ended. If you only have the minutes after a defeat, keep to Starting out and Off court and save Match day for another time.
Which groups to use where
A profile for a school paper or club newsletter
Take two from Starting out, three from Their game and three from Match day, and close with the last question on the page. Readers who know the player want one detail they had not heard, so chase the first-tournament story and the changeover habits.
A podcast or a long sit-down
You have time to run the groups in order, which is how the list is laid out. Spend longest on Match day, where the answers turn into stories, and hold the loss question until at least twenty minutes in.
Two minutes at a clinic or a signing table
Choose one question and make it something they can show or answer in a sentence: the serve routine, the surface, what a beginner should learn first. Have a second ready in case the line is short.
A conversation with someone at your club
There is no recorder here, so trade as well as ask. Their game and Training suit this best, and the hitting-partner question sometimes ends with an invitation to play.
Getting past the press-conference answer
Ask about a score, not a season
'How do you handle pressure?' gets a slogan. 'You were down 2-5 in the second set last week, what were you telling yourself?' gets an answer. Whenever a reply turns general, bring it back to one match, one game or one point.
Ask them to show you
Tennis is physical knowledge, and players explain it better with a racket in hand. A grip, a ball toss or the split step before a return takes ten seconds to demonstrate and saves a paragraph of description. For audio, ask them to say what their hand is doing as they do it.
Stop them at words you do not know
Kick serve, inside-out forehand, moonball, bagel. If a term goes past you, ask right then. Players like explaining their sport, and a wrong guess printed in a profile is the mistake they will remember.
Let them finish the losing story
When a player starts describing a match that got away, do not rescue them with a cheerful question. Wait through the pause, because what follows it is often the part of the story they have not told before.
What to leave out
Anything they are nursing right now
Past injuries are fair to ask about if the player chooses which one. A current one is their business and their coach's, and an opponent may read your article. If a taped wrist is obvious, ask how the week has gone and take whatever they offer.
The ranking of a young player
Juniors hear their number from adults constantly. Ask how the system works if you are curious, and leave the figure itself alone unless they bring it up.
Comparisons with a famous name
Telling a player they remind you of a champion sounds kind and tends to end the topic. Ask whom they learned from instead, which gets you the same information with their own reasons attached.
A free lesson for yourself
At a clinic, questions about your own game are the point. In an interview or a chat they turn the player into an unpaid coach, so limit yourself to the beginner question and keep the remaining minutes on them.