Hi {{first name |there}},
Tennis is famously a mental game, and today, we’re serving up a research-backed way to master your mind and stay in control on court when it matters most.
On the fashion front, we have a fun one: Tennisette founder, Amelia Wilson, shares her 17 on-court essentials, from the socks and sunscreen she swears by to the very cute dress she found on Amazon!
In case you missed it, the most popular links in last week’s issue were this retro-inspired tennis dress (currently on sale!), and this genius convertible tennis dress with superior sun protection.
🕵️♀️ Finally, here's this week's trivia question: Which current top-ranked American player has a twin who also played professional tennis? Scroll down to the link list for the answer…
Welcome to the club, we’re so glad you’re here!
Team Tennisette
P.S.: serve this email to a friend who wants to start tennis lessons!🎾
Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe, 2025 US Open
16 Seconds That Separate Great Tennis Players from Everyone Else
In a typical match, players hit the ball roughly 20% of the time. The other 80% is spent between points—and mostly in our minds.
According to the late Dr. James E. Loehr, a pioneering sports psychologist who worked with Olympians and tennis legends including Monica Seles and Jim Courier, that gap is where matches are won or lost.
“It is one thing to possess the physical skills and yet another to be able to use them when it counts,” Dr. Loehr wrote in Mental Toughness Training for Sports: Achieving Athletic Excellence. “In the final analysis, every athletic contest is a contest of control, control of the delicate mind-body connection.”
Using biometric data, Loehr found that the best tennis players were intense and focused during play but showed a remarkable ability to recover during the brief 25-second windows between points, using rituals to manage rising heart rates and adapt to stress.
Poor competitors used that downtime unwisely, failing to relax or compounding the stress by disputing calls or showing emotion.
From that research, Loehr developed the 16-Second Cure: a repeatable, four-stage set of habits to run through between every point.
1. Positive response. The instant a point ends, win or lose, stand up tall and walk with purpose. Head up, shoulders back. This isn't about how you feel — it's about telling your nervous system you're fine. Loehr instructed players to mimic the “matador walk,” the confident strut of Spanish bullfighters in the ring.
2. Relaxation. Shake out any tension in your hands or shoulders. Direct your eyes to your strings or the ground, not the scoreboard. Calm your breathing and loosen any tense parts of your body.
3. Preparation. Pick one specific thing to do in the next point: where you'll place your serve, whether you will poach, where you will hit your return. Not "play well." A specific “job” that you will perform.
Founder Favorites: 17 On-Court Essentials
This week’s fashion edit is a fun one: Amelia Wilson, Tennisette’s founder, shares her on-court favorites, from the socks and sunscreen she swears by to her latest finds!
Amelia began playing tennis at 12 in her hometown of Brisbane, Australia, gave it up for nearly two decades, and restarted lessons with a group of 30-something friends in Brooklyn, New York. She plays doubles whenever she can and loves attending tournaments as a spectator, especially Indian Wells for its dry desert heat and small stadium, and Wimbledon for its timeless elegance.
Here’s Amelia on her must-haves, superstitions, and being influenced by the Tennisette community…
I play with a 16-year-old Head racquet I randomly bought at Paragon Sports in New York. There are newer, better versions, but I’m superstitiously attached to it! I spruced it up recently with a fun new patterned grip from Overset ($18 for 3), who have generously given us a discount code for free shipping on orders over $35. Click here, and the discount will be automatically applied, or use code: tennisette
I prioritize ease and comfort (I need to be able to concentrate and move!) and have recently been influenced by the Tennisette community to wear more dresses. My current favorite is this classic collared dress ($118) and I am coveting this feminine pointelle number: ($118). I get compliments whenever I wear this scalloped-detail dress ($39.99) that I found on Amazon; it comes in many fun colors, and includes a built-in bra!
The most comfortable undershorts I’ve found are these from Nike: $55.
My tennis bag ($118) is lightweight and has held up beautifully for more than 3 years, can be monogrammed—and is on sale right now!
I wear this tinted moisturizer/sunscreen with SPF45 every day. It’s anti-aging, and matches your skin tone, so you don’t need a different color when the seasons change! $89.
I carry my essentials (Advil, electrolyte tablets, hair ties, sweatbands) in one of these cute pouches: $34.
I wear my hair up in a “ballet bun” whenever I play and rely on these non-snag hair ties to keep my fine hair tidy and off my face. $37 for 4.
On vacation, I love to play in shorts. These Lululemon’s ($68) in a fun color are my favorites, and I can even fit a ball in the built-in liner! I pair them with a sweat-wicking tank ($42). Also available in plus sizes.
I have multiples of this visor. It’s adjustable and comfortable, and the brim is wider than the typical visor: $28.
These are the sunglasses I wear when the sun is truly troublesome: $199.
I have narrow feet with high arches and am extremely loyal to Asics on-court sneakers for their stability and support: $76.50 (on sale!).
I’m obsessed with these socks – they’re pricey but worth it: they’re padded at the heel and toe and last forever, but mine keep disappearing because my daughter steals them! $47.97 for a 3-pack.
A wristband on my right hand to sop up sweat is a summer essential. $9.99 for 2.
I treasure the diamond tennis bracelet my husband gave me for Christmas years ago and never take it off. Here’s a similar diamond version (from $2,730), and here’s a very well-priced alternative (from $92)!
Lately, I’ve also been wearing my diamond huggies (similar here), a 50th birthday gift from my Aussie high school friends, when I play. I think of them as a good luck charm! $658.
I never leave home without a spritz of my “signature” perfume, which happens to be a British men's cologne! $181.49.
SHOP THE STORY (all images are clickable!)
Frances Tiafoe
In Case You Missed It…
🕵️♀️TRIVIA ANSWER: Frances Tiafoe! His twin brother, Franklin, played college tennis at Salisbury University and now coaches on the pro tour. The two began training aged 5 at the Maryland tennis center where their father worked as head of maintenance, and often slept onsite.
Serena and Venus Williams
Tournament Calendar
There’s a stacked line-up of women playing at this year’s Cincinnati Open, considered the final “warm-up” before the US Open, including Serena and Venus Williams as a doubles team! While Zverev, Medvedev, and Djokovic are confirmed, the men’s tournament is less certain, with Sinner undergoing medical tests, and last year’s champ, Alcaraz, out.
2 August to 13 August: National Bank Open, ATP 1000, Montreal, Canada
13 August to 23 August: Cincinnati Open, ATP 1000, United States
23 August to 29 August: Winston-Salem Open, ATP 250, United States
30 August to 13 September: US Open, Grand Slam, New York, United States
