How To Make Your High School Tennis Team | 5 Tryout Tips From a Coach

High school tennis is one of the most rewarding athletic experiences available to teen players, offering competitive match play, team camaraderie, and a foundation that can carry your game forward for decades.

Many elite juniors skip their school’s varsity team to focus on USTA tournament play, and that’s a valid choice. But players like John Isner, who played high school tennis in North Carolina, and CoCo Vandeweghe, who balanced school and junior circuits, went on to successful professional careers. Playing for your school does not close doors. In fact, it can open them.

Whether you are chasing a college scholarship, looking to sharpen your competitive instincts, or simply want to represent your school, making the team starts with smart preparation. Here are five practical steps to give yourself the best shot at tryouts.

The Advantages of High School Tennis

Playing tennis in high school builds more than just your forehand. The sport demands strategic thinking, goal-setting, and real discipline. You learn to manage stress in match situations, work alongside teammates with different skill levels, and hold yourself accountable for results.

The benefits extend off the court as well. Studies from the Women’s Sports Foundation show that student-athletes earn higher GPAs, develop stronger leadership habits, and are less likely to engage in risky behaviors compared to non-athletes. For girls especially, competitive sports participation correlates with lower rates of substance abuse, higher self-esteem, and better academic outcomes.

I’ve coached plenty of high school players who came in unsure of themselves and left as confident competitors. The team environment pushes you in ways that solo practice simply cannot replicate.

Go Over Your Fundamentals

Good technique is the foundation of every successful tryout. Whether you are hitting a tennis ball in practice or playing a pressure point at tryouts, your results depend on executing basic strokes correctly and consistently.

Work with a coach to get an honest evaluation of your game. Ask them to assess your deep shots, cross-court rally consistency, down-the-line accuracy, first and second serves, return of serve, drop shots, lobs, volleys, and footwork patterns.

You do not need to master every shot. What coaches look for at tryouts is reliability. A player who can rally 10 balls crosscourt without missing will impress more than someone who goes for winners on every ball and sprays errors.

Improve Your Mental Game

High school matches bring a kind of pressure you do not experience in casual hitting sessions. Your teammates are watching. The crowd is cheering. Your coach is counting on you to close out a tight third set that decides the team result.

I’ve seen talented players fall apart in these moments because they never practiced handling pressure. The fix is straightforward: train your mental game before tryouts, not after.

Work with a coach who structures practice to simulate match conditions. Play tiebreakers with consequences. Practice serving when you are tired. Have a friend keep score during practice sets so the points feel real. The goal is to make tryout pressure feel familiar, not foreign.

A simple breathing routine helps too. Between points, take one deep breath, bounce the ball a set number of times, and focus on one tactical objective for the next point. This ritual keeps your mind from spiraling into anxiety during tight games.

Improve Your Doubles Performance

Most high school teams need strong doubles players just as much as strong singles players. In many conferences, doubles results decide team matches. Yet the majority of juniors train almost exclusively for singles and show up to tryouts with no understanding of doubles positioning, poaching, or net play.

This is actually an opportunity. If you can demonstrate solid doubles instincts at tryouts, you immediately become more valuable to the team than a singles-only player with a bigger forehand.

Work on your net volleys, overhead smashes, and communication with a partner. Learn the basic formations: one-up-one-back, both-back on return, and the Australian (I-formation) for serving. A coach who specializes in doubles can teach you poaching timing and where to stand when your partner is serving.

Get Fit for the Season

Many players make the mistake of preparing for tryouts by jogging long distances. Tennis is not a distance sport. It is an anaerobic activity built on short explosive bursts, rapid direction changes, and quick recovery between points.

You still need an aerobic base, but your conditioning program should prioritize movements that mirror actual match play. Think lateral shuffles, split-step drills, forward sprints to the net, and backpedaling to recover for a lob.

A simple drill that works: sprint hard for 20 to 30 seconds, then walk or jog for 60 to 90 seconds. Repeat 8 to 12 times. This interval pattern closely matches the work-to-rest ratio in a competitive tennis match. If you can maintain good footwork and shot quality in the final intervals, your fitness is in a good place.

Closing Thoughts

Making your high school tennis team comes down to consistent preparation across all areas of your game. Sharpen your fundamentals, build your mental toughness, learn to play doubles, and get your body ready for the physical demands of match play. Coaches notice the players who show up prepared, coachable, and competitive.

If you are looking for more structured guidance, check out the USTA’s Tennis in Schools program for resources on building or improving your school’s tennis program. And if you want to practice on your own between team sessions, there are plenty of effective solo drills that keep your skills sharp.

Good luck at tryouts. Put in the work, and you will be ready.