What Tennis Players Actually Drink During a Match (And Why It's Not What You Think)
The question every rec player has — and the answer most brands won't give you
If you've ever watched a professional tennis match and wondered what's in those unmarked bottles at the changeover bench, you're not alone. It's one of the most searched questions in tennis. And the honest answer is more interesting than most people expect.
The short version: it's not water. Or at least, not just water.
What professional tennis players actually drink at the changeover
At the highest levels of the sport, tennis players work with performance nutritionists and hydration scientists who prepare custom formulas for every match. These typically include three components: a carbohydrate source for sustained energy delivery, electrolytes (specifically sodium, potassium, and magnesium) to replace what's lost through sweat, and in some cases cognitive support compounds to help maintain focus through the later stages of a match.
Research published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport confirms that tennis players can lose more than 2.5 liters of sweat per hour during match play — significantly more than most rec players realize. Plain water replaces fluid but does nothing for the electrolytes or carbohydrates that performance depends on.
Why the changeover window is actually the most important moment for hydration
Tennis is unique among sports in that hydration windows are built into the rules. Every two games, players get exactly 90 seconds at the changeover bench. Research from Kovacs (2006) notes that this structured window is the primary opportunity for players to implement a hydration protocol — but most rec players treat it as a rest break rather than a performance opportunity.
According to a study referenced by the USTA, only 27% of fluid lost during tennis practice is typically replaced through ad libitum drinking. In other words, players who just drink when they feel thirsty are already significantly behind.
The difference between what pros drink and what most rec players use
Most recreational tennis players grab a Gatorade or a bottle of water and don't think much further than that. The problem isn't that these options are bad — it's that they weren't designed around the specific physiological demands of tennis.
Tennis is an intermittent high-intensity sport. Points last fewer than ten seconds on average, followed by brief rest periods. This pattern repeats for hours. The energy systems involved, the sweat composition, and the cognitive demands are all specific to tennis in ways that general sports drinks don't address.
What this means for your game
The gap between what professional players drink and what most rec players consume isn't about budget or access — it's about awareness. The changeover is a performance window. What you do with it, including what you drink, has a measurable impact on how you play in the games that follow.
HydraCourt was built specifically around this moment — the 90-second changeover window that exists in every tennis match. If you've ever wondered what the pros are actually drinking, now you know what to look for in your own bag.
