Fiend at Court Unplugged
There is a fine line between optimization and bat-shit crazy. I am not sure where in the spectrum my wardrobe management habits for tennis tournaments exactly falls. You be the judge.
When packing for a tennis tournament, I bundle enough fully assembled outfits to carry me through the event. I roll each set individually and cinch it up with one the myriad of unused shoelaces that frequently arrive as spares with new tennis shoes. The tennis outfit rolls are ultimately carried in a collapsible trunk organizer cargo bin that remains in my car at all times.
It is pretty rare for me to reserve a hotel room for a night when I am not guaranteed to still be in the tournament the next morning. A lot of times that means I am checking in and out of the hotel every day. For each night in a hotel, I grab one of the bundles for the next morning. Everything I need for the night fits in a medium gym bag that I carry when coming and going from my lodging.
My trunk organizer has mesh pockets on the side, which is where extra pairs of socks and a laundry bag are stashed. Depending on how variable the weather might be, I may tuck some extra layers into the cargo bin.
One of the key factors that underpins this practice is mapping out the number of matches that I am likely to have during the tournament. It can get pretty complex when feed-in consolations are used at the lengthy national level tournaments. I calculate my maximum number of matches and then add one extra change of clothes.
Once upon a time, I had a suspended match that spanned two days. Wouldn’t you know that was one of the rare times that I also played the maximum number of matches. Fortunately the Tennis Express brick and mortar location was in close proximity on that particular occasion.
It is yet another shining example of how I overthink tennis.
Residence Inn. Laundry. 😂