Hi {{first name |there}},

Welcome to the first edition of Tennisette, a weekly lifestyle newsletter for avid women tennis players who value skill and style. Each issue is designed to feel like a mini glossy magazine, with a mix of practical tips to improve your game and delightful finds to enhance your life, both on and off the court.

This weekend the world will watch the action on the legendary clay courts at Roland-Garros. In tomorrow’s women’s finals, 19-year-old Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva will play Polish qualifier Maja Chwalińska, the first player to reach a Roland Garros singles final straight from qualifying. On the men's side, Alexander Zverev, Jakub Menšík, Matteo Arnaldi, and Flavio Cobolli—none of whom have ever won a major—will contest the semifinals and final on Saturday and Sunday.

Attending the French Open, arguably the world’s toughest—and most chic—tournament, is high on every tennis fan’s bucket-list: we’ve heard the stadium food is exceptional, and that matches are occasionally delayed to ensure spectators have ample time to savor their meals! Another fascinating fact: the Paris stadium is named after a man who didn’t play tennis! Roland Garros was a pioneering French pilot who died in aerial combat in 1918. The stadium was named after him in 1928 as a condition of the land grant from the Stade de France, which required the new venue to honor a WWI hero.

Whether you’re lucky enough to be in Paris, or spectating from home, it’s actually possible to improve your own game while watching the pros: here are three science-backed ways to do just that!

Read on to discover a simple trick for starting every match as a winner, Paris-inspired style, what’s next on the professional calendar, and more.

Welcome to the club, we’re so glad you’re here!
The Tennisette Team
P.S.: spread the love and lob this email to your tennis friends!🎾

How to Start Every Match as a Winner!

Former professional player turned coach and commentator, Brad Gilbert, makes a counterintuitive argument in his tennis bible, Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis--Lessons from a Master, that most recreational players don’t consider: you should almost never choose to serve first.

Gilbert cites several reasons for this:

The serve is the most technically difficult stroke in tennis. Unlike professionals, who practice their serves relentlessly and develop them into serious weapons, most recreational players spend more time focused on ground strokes and volleys, leaving serves and overheads last in the hierarchy of priorities, and therefore, weaker. Forcing your opponent to start the match with their weakest stroke is your advantage.
In the first game of a match, neither player has found their rhythm yet. Both players are nervous, and the first few games are often messy, tentative, and full of errors on both sides. Gilbert notes that most players serve better later in a match, once they have found their rhythm and settled into the pace of play.
The secret advantage. When a player chooses to serve first and gets broken in that first game, she hands her opponent an immediate psychological edge that can set the tone for the entire set. She already feels defeated in the first game.
There is only upside for the receiver. If you break your opponent’s serve in the first game, then you start the match with an advantage and a rattled opponent. If you fail to break your opponent’s serve, no damage is done: you serve next, resetting the psychological score card.

This does not mean receiving first is the right call in every situation: if your serve is your strength and you are confident you will hold, go ahead and serve first. But if that’s not the case, or nerves regularly get the best of you at the beginning of a match, there’s little downside to electing to receive.

Natalie Portman at the 2025 French Open

Bonjour, Paris!

Is there a more chic combination than Paris and tennis? This week’s edit is inspired by the French Open, where players are wearing pastels and dusty, clay-inspired shades on court, and spectators are keeping cool in chic summer classics.

ON COURT

Lacoste x Roland-Garros limited edition tote (on sale!): $71.99. With room for all your essentials, including a 15” laptop.
Adorable SPF50 French sunscreen stick: $23.19. Never leave home without it!
Lilac tennis dress with fun neon back zipper: $98.
“Terre Battue” unisex Lacoste x Roland-Garros cap: $80. Terre battue or “beaten earth” is the French term for clay.
Ribbed pointelle sweater tank: $78. Plus the matching skirt: $98.
White puff sleeve quilted stretch pullover: $128. For chilly warm-ups and windy days. Multiple colors available!
Performance compression pom-pom socks: $60 for 3. Performance, but make it cute!
Wilson x Roland-Garros backpack: $79. Compact yet spacious with a locking zip compartment for up to two tennis rackets, plus a padded sleeve for a laptop or tablet, and pockets for snacks, a water bottle, and personal items.

OFF COURT

“Après Tennis” pouch: $28.00. There’s no such thing as too many pouches!
Nike pastel pink sneakers: $105. Suede, everyday sneakers that come with a second set of gingham laces for a pop of pattern. Also available in green.
Crisp white poplin button-down: $150. Stay cool in the stands.
French blue linen shorts: $42. Polished, breathable, classic.
Poplin skirt in sweet pea: $128. 100% cotton maxi skirt with pockets and elasticized waist for maximum ease. Also comes in navy, white, and a jaunty blue stripe.
Peach pink cotton midi dress: $198. Flattering sleeveless sundress with a relaxed cinched waist in a subtle stripe. Also comes in a summery green.
Preppy cardigan: $168. All-cotton cable-knit never goes out of style.
Classic flat leather sandals: $395. Wear them all summer long—an investment that will last for years.
Navy trimmed straw visor: $98. Essential shade for sunny days.
Clay court cocktail napkins: $80 for a set of 4. These hemstitched linen napkins are perfect for the tennis-mad hostess, or a French Open finals watch party!