Drawing inspiration from Gretchen Rubin’s New York Times bestselling book, The Happiness Project, I am making this month all about making intentional efforts to have more fun in tennis. Breaking out of your usual tennis routine is a great place to start. It’s easy to get stuck in autopilot—same courts, same drills, same league teams, same expectations. There’s nothing wrong with consistency. However, when tennis starts to feel more like a to-do list than a joy, it might be time to shake things up. Working to have more fun means permitting yourself to go off the beaten path and saying yes to new experiences.
We can all benefit from creating a mindset for collecting new tennis memories and experiences. Sign up for a tennis engagement mechanism you haven’t previously tried. Seek out new practice partners. Make arrangements to play in an unusual or iconic venue. Take a lesson with a different pro or attend a tennis social outside your normal circles. These aren’t just boxes to check—they’re opportunities to rediscover what you love about the sport from a different angle.
There’s a unique kind of joy that comes from novelty and the thrill of stepping into the unknown. You don’t have to love every new experience, but each one adds a chapter to your personal tennis story. It expands your perspective and sense of what’s possible. Trying something different can feel like a mini-adventure and inject energy and unpredictability into a sport that often thrives on routine. New tennis experiences might not always go perfectly, but they’re often the ones you remember most. The more adventures you collect, the more chances you create for joy to sneak in through the side door—surprising you in ways the well-worn path never could.
Part of working to have more fun in tennis is permitting yourself to be a little playful. Not every moment on court has to be serious or focused on performance. Sometimes the happiest breakthroughs come when we let go of expectations and just play. Tennis doesn’t always have to be about grinding out improvement or chasing results. Allowing yourself to be playful can lighten the pressure and remind you why you picked up a racquet in the first place. A little levity can go a long way in making the game feel fresh and fun again.
So this month, I’m challenging myself—and inviting you—to seek out one new tennis experience on purpose, just for the sheer joy of it. Working to have more fun in tennis isn’t just worthwhile—it might be the best tennis performance enhancement strategy of all.
Fiend At Court participates in the Amazon Associates program and receives a paid commission on any purchases made via the links in this article. Details on the disposition of proceeds are available on the “About Fiend at Court” page.
Throughout 2025, I am dedicating the first full weekend of every month to exploring how ideas from Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project (<- Sponsored Link) can spark greater enjoyment and happiness in tennis. This is a non-tennis book that I have come to believe everyone should read. Seriously, you should get your hands on a copy of this book and consider trying some of the techniques described by the author.
