Tennis Is Better With Company

The best social tennis rarely troubles the highlight reel. There is a rally that lasts just long enough for everyone to become hopeful, a partner who apologises for an excellent return, and the small ceremony of finding somewhere to sit afterwards. The score matters for an hour. The company, and perhaps the promise of something cold to drink, is why everyone comes back next week.

There is something delightfully optimistic about dressing for tennis. The whites suggest an afternoon of immaculate composure, even when the first serve disappears into the next court. A cable-knit sweater promises cool air and an unhurried conversation by the clubhouse. A pair of pleated shorts implies that one might, at any moment, be invited to play doubles at a rather agreeable country house.

A little ceremony in white

The classic tennis wardrobe has a lightness to it: a white polo with a soft collar, shorts cut generously enough for movement, clean canvas shoes and perhaps a cricket-style sweater waiting over the shoulders. Nothing needs to look especially complicated. The pleasure is in the contrast between tidy clothes and the wonderfully untidy business of trying to return a ball.

There is charm, too, in the small details. A coloured stripe at the collar, a pair of long socks, a wooden racquet tucked under an arm: each suggests a version of the game played as much for the afternoon as for the score. One can almost hear glasses being set down somewhere beyond the court. Whether anyone in this imagined scene has remembered to bring new balls is another matter.

The clothes find their stride

As the game grew quicker and the players moved more freely, the clothes acquired a different sort of confidence. Long trousers gave way to shorts; careful layers became lighter; the familiar white canvas made room for flashes of colour, bolder shapes and a little personality. The elegant figure strolling towards the baseline became someone rather more likely to slide into the shot.

The modern court has its own appeal. Technical fabrics move easily, colour can express a mood, and a good pair of court shoes takes the practical side of the game seriously. There is no need to pretend that playing in a heavy wool sweater would improve one's backhand. The old and the new can get along: a contemporary polo with a slightly retro collar, simple white shorts with a well-cut warm-up jacket, or a modern tennis shoe in a restrained cream and navy.

Away from the court, the references become softer still. A knitted polo with tailored trousers, a tennis sweater over a shirt, or an uncomplicated canvas bag can carry the spirit of the game into an afternoon in town. It is the feeling that matters: freshness, ease and the faint promise that there is still time for one more set.

The trick is to borrow the charm without appearing to be dressed as a photograph. A sweater is lovely; a complete recreation of an imaginary championship final may be a little much for coffee. Unless, of course, the coffee is very important.

The social game

Good social tennis is an exercise in generosity. Introduce yourself, ask about the format, and make space for different abilities. Keep the warm-up cooperative. On shared courts, retrieve balls promptly and wait for a natural pause before crossing behind a point. If a call is yours to make, make it clearly and fairly; a friendly afternoon should not require a tribunal.

Doubles is particularly good at exposing the difference between playing well and being good company. Encourage your partner, avoid conducting a running lesson unless invited, and rotate so that newcomers do not spend the entire session watching. Afterwards, a drink and a discussion about the shot that nearly went in can be as much a part of the sport as the match.

A club's rituals can be charming, but they should not make the game feel like an examination. Tennis is most persuasive when its traditions create a reason to meet, move and return, with room for newcomers too.