Tennis players have some of the biggest bags among athletes considering the size of their equipment.  I have seen players take down (literally) other players when taking their bag into the restroom and nearly decapitate a fellow airplane traveler while trying to force a tennis bag into the overhead bin.

While participating in the National Women’s Intersectional Team event, I thought it would be interesting, funny and hopefully helpful to ask players which one item they must have in their tennis bags.  Hopefully, this post will help explain the mysteriously enormous tennis bags players lug around. (I will save writing about the physical repercussions of lugging around a giant bag for another post.)

Target brand spray sunscreen (received a top product review in Consumer Reports)
- Candy Reid, Harrop World Cup 35’s Team for Great Britain

Extra tennis outfit by Agatha Cioroch
- 2X NCAA Division 1 Champion

Aleve and a knee brace - Julia Dimitrov 4-time All-American Hall of Fame Inductee

EOS organic lip balm
- Nanely DeMartini, 5-time Southern Team National Champion

Wrist sweat bands and wrist brace by Paula Jones-Former college player

Good luck tennis ball signed by my teammates when we won Nationals - Deanna Vroman, bilateral knee replacement recipient & still playing

Extra string - Michelle DePalmer Williams, All-American University of Tennessee

Vomit bags - Courtney Allen, former college player

Medi-Lyte electrolyte tablets for cramping - Lisa Teer, former college player

Ziploc bags for ice - Cindy Babb, 65’s National Player

The Stick/Massage Roller from  Perform Better - Lizl Kotz, Southern Team National Champion

Anxiety meds and a therapist - Taylor Taylor, Mother of two crazy kids, wife & businesswomen who loves tennis but never plays

Extra ponytail hairbands - Beth Maynor, Physical Therapist & former college player

GatorLytes electrolytes - Brenda Carter, 70’s National Player & National Cup Team

Neutrogena Sport Face sunscreen SPF 70 - Lizl Kotz, Physical therapist, wife and mother of four

Small notebook with coaches notes to look at on changeovers - Michelle DePalmer Williams, former WTA top 100

Nekot crackers or any food that you have tried out during practice - Diane Barker, 60’s National Champion

Hairbrush and hairspray - Deanna Vroman, MD & former college player

Good luck charm from my kids - Maria Elliott-mom, busines swomen & former college player

Banana Boat SPF 50 stick sunscreen. Great for reapplying during a match without getting it on your hands - Betsy McColl, Tennis Hall of Fame inductee 1992

Prince Grip Plus Sweat Absorber Gel - Kristin Whitehead, Former college player

Jump Rope for pre-match warm-up - Lizl Kotz, 40’s National Clay Court Champion

A few other items I think would be helpful in a tennis bag when competing are: band-aids, Biofreeze roll-on to wake up tired legs or temporarily relieve pain, over-grip, extra shock-absorbers for strings, towel, hat/visor and an ankle and knee brace.

While having a fully stocked tennis bag is certainly helpful, I think high-level tennis players would all agree that if we could package Federer-like timing, Nadal’s focus and the relaxed arm of Sampras, this would be the bag to grab.