A couple of weeks ago I was invited along to try my hand at a sport that I’d dismissed as a complete No No about 16 years ago. #TennisTuesdays in association with Nike and LTA.

Tennis and I got off to a pretty rocky start when I was in high school. My PE teacher got frustrated with my lack of hand-to-eye coordination skills and sent me packing, forlornly, to play by myself against the wall of our Design & Technology block. (I was much better at Design & Technology!)

I think that was the beginning of my detachment from racket sports. Even Wimbledon, despite my crush on Rafael Nadal, couldn’t win me round.

My lack of skill and understanding of the rules of the game, and its seemingly complex scoring system, meant that I found the very idea of playing lawn tennis boring.

However, I’m now double the age and hopefully twice the young woman I was back then. I was ready to accept this challenge with open arms. 

As I decked myself out in a rather stylish Nike Tennis kit and shoes, I made my way over to the sunlit court and chatted with the other girls who turned up to play.

It became apparent that the girls weren’t all tennis pros who were going to whoop my ass! They were like me, eager to learn and have fun playing a sport that could (possibly) ignite a new passion or become a fun pastime. 

We warmed up with a series of cardio and stretching exercises led by our pro athlete trainers and then paired up to try and do a few volleys. We learnt how to hold the racket properly and also received great tips to help improve our technique from our Tennis Pro, Sam.

After an hour or so on the court, I really felt like I’d had a good workout. It is a fringe ruiner. Not only did I feel good from all of the running about but from the amount of laughing we did too! 

Tennis Tuesdays is all about social tennis. Getting women together on courts across the city every Tuesday to learn new techniques and meet likeminded people. It was great to see some familiar faces on the court - hello Food & Lycra girls!

We finished off with a selection of yummy canapés and summer cocktails! What a perfect way to end a Tuesday!

Each session has a different theme: Teamwork, Defend and recover and Right from the start - to name but a few! They even provide the rackets!

To book a session check out tennistuesdays.co.uk and find your nearest participating club. Sessions last around an hour and are priced from £6.

Clubs currently promoting Tennis Tuesdays:

• All Win - King Georges Park, SW18 4DN
• All Win - Leaders Gardens, SW15 1LS
• All Win - Tooting Bec Common, SW17 8JU
• Will to Win - Cambridge Gardens, TW1 2TA
• Will to Win - Old Deer Park, TW9 2SF
• Burgess Park Tennis Centre - SE5 7LA

Photography © Lucie Kerley and Nike UK