Tennis in the cold months: dressing in layers
The game does not stop in November. Three layers, each with its own job, so you can walk onto a cold court and still move as you would in summer.
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In Portugal the game runs all year, and it is between October and March that the court asks for more judgement. The common mistake is to overdress: you arrive wrapped up, warm through by the third game, and spend the rest of the match shedding layers. The alternative is simple, three layers with distinct jobs.
The layer that stays
It touches the skin, and it matters most. It has to move perspiration away and dry quickly, so you do not cool down between points. A close-cut technical t-shirt does the work. The João and the Eduardo use Thermolite polyester, a hollow fibre that holds warmth without adding weight.
The layer that comes off
This one is for the warm-up and the opening games, and it goes as soon as the body asks. Use what you already own: a light zip-front jacket you can take off without pulling it over your head. Leave it on the bench rather than in the bag, so you can put it back on at the end.
Less below than you would think
Legs warm first and cool last. Technical shorts are almost always enough: the Bernardo, also in Thermolite, or the Fernando, with cotton in the blend, for milder days. If you play in a skirt, keep the Catarina and add only your warm-up over it, until the first serve.
In the bag
- A second t-shirt. Changing the damp layer at the break changes the rest of the match.
- A small towel, for your hands and for the racquet grip.
- Spare socks. The cold comes in through your feet.
Afterwards, wash Thermolite pieces at 30 degrees and let them drip dry, never in the machine. See the men's collection and the women's collection.