I spent the past week competing at the Intersectional Championships, a team-based competition between the best players from each USTA section. It is the pinnacle of senior women’s tennis. In addition to incredible inspiration, this event is an object lesson in how tennis is a sport for life. It is also a testament that it can be played at a highly competitive level past the age of 85, as evidenced by the teams that competed in that division this year.
This experience gave me yet another front-row seat to observe the nutritional habits of these top athletes, both on and off the court. It is evident that their longevity and athletic success are not just a result of raw talent or skill, but also deeply rooted in the meticulous care they take in fueling their bodies. These players are intentional about every bite they take, treating food as an essential component of their overall strategy for peak performance.
This week convinced me there is no “one size fits all” approach to tennis nutrition. While the choices I observed the competitors at this tournament making were consistently healthy, there is tremendous variation in when and what players prefer to eat when highly important tennis matches are on the line. It’s not the same from person to person.
The aerobic and anaerobic demands of tennis require frequent spikes in energy during points over the extended duration of matches. Glycogen, the fuel for these quick bursts, comes from simple and complex carbohydrates. The best players are mindful of the glycemic index of the foods they consume. Their baseline diet prioritizes slower-burning options that provide consistent energy. Higher glycemic foods and energy gels are reserved for quick boosts when needed.
Protein is essential for building and replenishing muscle tissue depleted or damaged during play. Elite tennis players often choose lean meats like chicken and fish. Quite a few high-performance players also follow plant-based diets, meeting their protein needs with foods like tofu, chickpeas, beans, and whole grains.
I have yet to encounter a highly competitive player who skips or minimizes breakfast. They intentionally use that meal to jumpstart their metabolism for the day. Great breakfast choices include eggs, fruits, and whole-grain foods like oatmeal, cereal, or bread. Adding vegetables like mushrooms and spinach to scrambled eggs is a popular way to sneak in extra nutrients.
At Intersectionals, the tournament provided box lunches for the players each day. The options were tailored to what most tennis players typically consume for that meal, featuring poultry, fish, and salads. However, some players supplemented those options with purchased fruits and vegetables. Additionally, despite the box lunches being distributed at a set timeframe each day, some players deferred eating until later in accordance with their match schedules.
This year, I can only attest to what my own team ate for dinner. When selecting a restaurant each evening, we focused on places that offered entrees featuring lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables. Our competitive schedule pushed our dinners later into the evening than I think most would have preferred. Based on my own observations, tennis players usually want to eat the final meal of the day in the early evening. That allows the digestive system to process food before sleep, avoiding energy spikes that could interfere with the quality and duration of rest.
Elite tennis players are not immune to indulging in treats. At Intersectionals, the box lunch provided each day came with a cookie, which most players eagerly consumed. Substituting that cookie for an energy gel is a reasonable and tasty option.
The very best tennis players have the physical stamina to win grueling matches. Their nutritional habits reflect the mentality that food fuels the fitness required to win long matches. The genuinely great tennis players pay close attention to their diet. Their choices support long-term health and maintaining their bodies for decades of competitive play, extending well into their later years.
The Intersectional Championships is more than just a showcase of talent. It is also a masterclass in longevity, resilience, and the power of intentional choices, both on and off the court. Watching these incredible senior women athletes was a reminder that success in senior tennis is not just about strokes or strategy. It’s about the details, including how you fuel your body, personalize your nutrition to your needs, and make every meal count toward a greater goal.
Tennis is a sport for life, but excelling at the highest levels demands a commitment beyond passion and practice.
