Lost all 3 matches at my first tournament. Here's what I wish I knew.
Showed up to my first tournament with one racket, no backup shuttles, and zero warm-up plan. Got demolished 21-7, 21-9 in the first round.
My legs cramped in the second match. Lost 21-12, 21-15 to someone I'd beaten before at club play.
Third match, my racket string broke mid-game. No backup. Had to forfeit. Drove home embarrassed and frustrated.
Don't try to cram fitness training the week before. That's how you show up injured.
My coach told me this and I ignored him. Played 6 sessions in 5 days trying to "get ready." Showed up to the tournament with sore calves and tired arms.
Here's what actually works:
7 days before: Last intense training session. Full intensity practice with competitive drills. This is your peak training day.
5-6 days before: Light technical work. Focus on shots, footwork drills, no full games. Keep heart rate moderate.
3-4 days before: One relaxed practice session. 60-75% intensity. Work on rhythm and timing, not fitness.
1-2 days before: Rest completely or extremely light stretching/movement. Let your body recover. Watch matches on YouTube to stay mentally engaged.
I brought one racket to my first tournament. String broke in match 3. Tournament over.
Here's my tournament bag checklist now:
Rackets: Minimum 2, ideally 3. String them fresh 2-3 days before the tournament. Check tension the night before—you want them at playing tension, not fresh-strung tight.
Shuttles: Bring 2-3 tubes even if the tournament provides them. Organizers sometimes run out or use terrible quality shuttles. Having your own gives you options.
Grips: 2 overgrips minimum. Hands sweat during tournaments. A slippery grip kills your game. I change grips between matches now.
Clothing: 2 complete sets (shirt, shorts, socks). You'll sweat through one set quickly. Changing into dry clothes between matches is a game-changer for comfort.
Shoes: Your primary pair plus a broken-in backup if possible. Don't wear brand new shoes—blisters will destroy your movement.
Medical: Athletic tape, pain relief gel, blister bandages, compression sleeve if you have knee/elbow issues. Tournaments are long days—small injuries get worse fast.
💡 What Actually Helped: I pack everything the night before and check off a list. Game day morning is too stressful to remember everything. I forgot my knee sleeve once and regretted it by match 3.
Ate a huge breakfast before my second tournament. Felt sick during warm-up. Lost first match partly because I was too full.
Now I follow this routine:
2-3 hours before first match: Light meal. I do oatmeal with banana and peanut butter. Carbs for energy, not so much that I feel heavy.
1 hour before: Small snack if needed. Banana or energy bar. Sip water regularly.
30 minutes before: Stop eating. Focus on hydration and mental prep.
Between matches: Small, frequent snacks. Bananas, energy bars, sports drinks. Don't wait until you're hungry—you'll crash mid-match.
⚠️ Mistake I Made: Drank a huge coffee before my first tournament to "get energized." Crashed hard during match 2 and couldn't focus. Stick to your normal routine—tournaments aren't the time to experiment with caffeine or new foods.
I showed up 10 minutes before my first match and did some arm circles. Got destroyed because my body wasn't ready.
Proper tournament warm-up (30-40 minutes before match time):
General movement (10 min): Light jogging, lateral shuffles, lunges. Get blood flowing to muscles. Don't skip this—cold muscles = injuries.
Dynamic stretching (5 min): Leg swings, arm circles, trunk rotations. No static stretching (holding stretches)—that actually reduces power.
Court warm-up with opponent (10-15 min): Start with clears, then drops, drives, smashes. Gradually increase intensity. Use this time to assess your opponent's strengths.
Mental preparation (5 min): Quiet moment to visualize your game plan. I sit courtside and breathe deeply while watching other matches.
My hands shook so bad during my first tournament, I couldn't grip my racket properly for the first 3 points.
Nerves are normal. They never fully go away. Here's what helps:
Accept the anxiety: Don't fight it. Acknowledge it: "I'm nervous because this matters to me. That's okay." Fighting nerves makes them worse.
Focus on process, not outcome: Instead of "I need to win this match," think "I'm going to execute my serve well and move back to center after every shot." Controllable actions reduce anxiety.
Breathe deliberately: Between points, take 2-3 deep breaths. In for 4 counts, out for 4 counts. This physically calms your nervous system.
Have a between-points routine: I turn away from the court, tap my strings twice, take a breath, turn back. Same routine every point. The consistency calms my mind.
Playing every point like it's match point: I burned out by game 2 in my first tournament because I played at 110% intensity from the first serve. Pace yourself. Not every point requires a max-effort jump smash.
Trying new shots you don't own: Tournament time is for shots you've practiced 1000 times. I tried fancy crosscourt drops I couldn't do reliably. Lost points. Stick to your bread-and-butter game.
Getting rattled by bad calls: Tournaments without line judges have questionable calls. I argued with opponents over line calls and lost focus. Accept that some calls will go against you. Move on.
Not checking the schedule: I missed my second-round match time at my third tournament because I assumed 45-minute breaks between matches. They called my match early. I forfeited. Check the board constantly.
I sat in my car and drove home immediately after my first tournament. Next day I could barely walk—my legs were destroyed.
Now I do this after matches:
Cool down (10 min): Light walking, easy arm swings. Don't stop moving abruptly.
Hydrate and eat: Sports drink + protein bar within 30 minutes. Your muscles need nutrients ASAP.
Stretch when warm: Gentle static stretching while muscles are still warm. Hamstrings, calves, shoulders. Hold each 30 seconds.
Ice if needed: Any sore spots get ice for 15 minutes. This prevents minor soreness from becoming major pain.
I expected to win my first tournament. Lost all 3 matches and felt like a failure.
Here's reality: Most people lose their first few tournament matches. Tournament play is completely different from club play—more pressure, better opponents, longer matches.
Set process goals, not outcome goals. "Win the tournament" is a bad goal because you can't control opponents. "Execute my serve strategy" or "maintain footwork under pressure" are good goals because you control those.
After my fourth tournament (where I finally won 2 matches), I realized success is measured in improvement, not trophies. Did you execute better than last time? Did you stay composed under pressure? That's progress.
Your first tournament will be stressful. You'll probably lose more than you expect. You'll make mistakes I haven't even mentioned here.
That's okay. Everyone's first tournament is rough. The players who dominate now? They all lost badly at their first tournaments too.
Pack smart, warm up properly, manage your energy, and focus on learning rather than winning. You'll leave with experience that makes the second tournament 10x better.
After 15 tournaments now, I still get nervous. But I know what to bring, how to prepare, and how to perform when it matters. You'll get there too.
← Back to All Articles