By Joe Dinoffer, USPTA and PTR Master Professional
(For more information on Joe, please visit www.oncourtoffcourt.com)

Playing at the Australian Open is a pressure-cooker in more ways than one.  It’s the first major of the year, featuring all the best players in the world, alongside a television and live audience that rivals any major international sports event. And, it is also extremely hot, testing even the fittest athletes with on-court temperatures regularly exceeding 120 degrees.

If you think you’ll never play tennis in that kind of heat, think again. It happens more often than most would imagine and is not only commonplace at the Australian Open. When temperatures in the mid-90’s mix with direct sunlight on a hard tennis court, it is unavoidable. The court surface becomes as hot as a pressure-cooker, hot enough to cook your lunch – figuratively and literally.  Players at the Australian Open are elite athletes, and even they struggle with that microwave-like heat, so how can you and I – presumably normal human beings – be expected to not only survive, but also to compete and have fun on our own neighborhood hard courts on hot summer days? Here are some tips to get you started.

2.    Clothing – Cotton is cool but it also absorbs sweat and becomes heavy in the heat. Today’s high tech materials that allow sweat to pass through and evaporate is preferred. There are many brand names to choose from. Just avoid cotton t-shirts at all costs. Also stay away from dark heat-absorbing colors. If the pros are wearing black, they are earning the amount of money that makes insanity worth considering.

3.    Shade – It always amazes me how some players may be too fashion conscious to wear a hat on the court. I can’t answer for Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, since they don’t usually wear hats, but it still makes sense to at least try wearing a hat to help manage the heat. And, on changeovers, although the players at the Open are typically offered umbrellas, you and I should try and find our own shade on changeovers, even if it means sitting in the corner of the court during those precious 90 seconds generously offered by the rules of tennis. If you cannot find shade, just create your own with a towel draped over your head.

4.    Sunglasses – Why do so few professional players wear sunglasses? I have no idea! If there were any studies of former pro tennis players and eye health based on sun exposure, it might convince more to take the protective plunge and wear eye protection. For us mortals, there is no good reason not to wear sunglasses.

5.    Keeping your hands and grip dry – If you’ve ever tried to hold on to a grip that is soaked with sweat, you know what a challenge it can be to keep your hands (and grip) dry. Since once a grip gets soggy, and you won’t get it dry during that same match, the solution is not to let it get wet in the first place. How? Keep your hand dry.  Extra wristbands to stop sweat from dripping down your arm and extra towels are essential. If you ever find yourself short on dry towels to keep your hands dry, a last resort is to dry the palms of your hands on the bottoms of your shoes. It’s a great solution when all else fails.

6.    Changing clothes and socks – If you want to feel how soggy it can feel like to play on a hot day at the Australian Open, get dressed in your tennis best, and jump into a swimming pool on a hot day. Then get out of the pool, go right to the court, and serve ‘em up and see how you feel. This is why we need to bring a change of clothes and socks to the courts!

Joe Dinoffer has had an extensive "world class" career in the tennis industry, and has conducted clinics and exhibitions in over 50 countries. Joe also is also the owner of oncourtoffcourt.com and president of Oncourt Offcourt, Ltd., a company exclusively serving the needs of tennis, fitness, and physical education coaches with innovative training aids and educational tools. He lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, Monika, and their daughter, Kalindi.