Home
Apple News
Inspired by Wimbledon? Here's how to get the whole family playing tennis for less than £50

Inspired by Wimbledon? Here's how to get the whole family playing tennis for less than £50

Wimbledon has inspired a new wave of players. A tennis coach explains how families can get started, what kit you really need and how to keep costs low.

two children, one boy and one girl, standing behind a tennis net on a grass court ready to play tennis

Amber Middleton

Published: July 7, 2026 at 10:34 AM

Save

It’s hard not to be swept up by tennis fever at this time of year – Wimbledon’s on the TV and the courts at every leisure centre and park are packed full of kids and adults alike serving volleys and rallies.

But tennis is more than just celeb spotting, eating strawberries and cream and basking in the sunshine (although, it can be these things too). It can be a great way to keep fit, have fun and hang out with the whole family.

And just because the likes of Kate Middleton and David Beckham are first to grace the crowds of the Centre Court, tennis isn’t as exclusive – or as expensive – as you may think. Tennis can actually cost just under £50 to get into initially for a child, suggests tennis coach and racquets manager at Virgin Active Chiswick Riverside Club, Declan Minns.

Minns explains how we can all become pros and play like Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu (in our dreams) by the time the school holidays are over without breaking the bank – rather, just breaking a sweat.

The first steps to get into tennis

Young boy playing tennis outdoors, focusing on the game

If you’re not too sure of the difference between a set and an ace – and thought ‘love’ was simply an emotion, that’s no problem – you can pick up the bulk of the rules by watching it.

There really is no better time for it with Wimbledon on screens until 12 July, soon followed by the US Open (which starts at the end of August).

If you want to understand things a bit further, there’s no place like YouTube. Minns recommends Essential Tennis that can give you a good idea of the basics.

Once you've got a basic understanding of the scoring and rules, you can either head straight down to the court straight for a knock about with the family, or get a coach that can provide further advice.

“There are so many great venues, courts and coaches whether that's in a local park, or leisure club,” Minns says, “You can find them very easily with the LTA’s rally tool”

The LTA is the Lawn Tennis Association, the UK's national governing body for tennis – just like the FA is for football. The LTA looks after tennis and paddle in the UK. And its Rally tool is a simple search platform – you input your postcode and it’ll provide you with all the local tennis courts that are nearby.

From here, you can see which ones host coaching sessions – there's different LTA-accredited clubs such as LTA youth, which is specifically for children trying to get into tennis, and these are blocked into age categories.

Equally you can just find a community court and start playing pretty much straight away via the LTA tool. Court hire can cost you between £5 and £10 per hour at a club.

The point where you may want a coach is when you want to be a bit more competitive, Minns says. For example, you’re wanting to play more formal matches and try certain types of shots. It’s very difficult to learn these via YouTube - you really need someone to show you and to practice in person.

If you do get a coach, Minns says to make sure they're LTA-accredited. “Having an LTA- approved coach means they're appropriately safeguarding trained and the quality is better.”

The kit you need to play (that doesn’t break the bank)

Tennis racket on grass court

Obviously, you can’t just play tennis without a bit of equipment first – namely, racket and balls – but it doesn’t have to be expensive either.

Minns says that the best option is to try to find a club that has a clubhouse in which you can borrow the equipment and this provides somewhere to play too.

But if you just want to head to the park for a quick back and forth rally and there isn’t somewhere to borrow the racket, you may want to invest in a cheap option and some balls.

Minns suggests Decathlon for balls which come in packs of four for £5. “For juniors, kids outgrow rackets so quickly when they're growing,” he explains. “So it's worth looking on places like eBay or Facebook Marketplace.” Here you’re looking at around £10 for a racket.

Tennis trainers are slightly different to normal running trainers because they have a lot more ankle support and the soul is a bit flatter to the floor.

Tennis coach Declan Minns

For an adult wanting to get started, a racket might cost a little more, starting at £30 upwards to the hundreds, depending on the material it's made from.

As for what to wear, you’ll need comfortable sports clothing such as shorts and a comfy t-shirt. You’ll need the right footwear too and this can’t be any old trainers – tennis-specific shoes are key.

“Tennis trainers are slightly different to normal running trainers because they have a lot more ankle support and the soul is a bit flatter to the floor,” Minns says. And these can cost around £25 for a child.

These are vital because you’re moving laterally rather than just forward (as with running) – you’re doing a lot more left to right movements and there’s a greater risk of rolling your ankle.

Minns estimates this’ll cost you about £40 total for a child to start out, in terms of kit and equipment – plus the cost of coaching or court hire if you decide to go down that route.

“Coaching will typically be between £10 and £20 per session [for a child] or £25, £30 per hour for a one-to-one session for an adult.”

How often do you need to practice to get good?

To become somewhat proficient, Minns advises practicing once a week for between three and six months for an hour or so each time.

Make it part of your routine – going at the same time after work or school, for example. If you want to have a more solid game, he suggests more consistency in playing socially.

Consider joining "club social sessions to feel more comfortable with the ball coming at different paces, different spins and just understanding the game a little bit better,” Minns says.

You don't need Centre Court ambitions to get something out of tennis. A few affordable pieces of kit, a local court and some regular practice can be enough to turn Wimbledon inspiration into a fun family activity that lasts long after the tournament has finished.

Authors

Amber Middleton