How Many Hours Should My Tennis Child Be Playing Per Week?

Ages 8–10: Growing Skills and Play

As children become more coordinated and confident, you can gradually increase to 2–3 hours per week. At this stage, players can join small group lessons, start playing friendly matches, and dip into entry-level competitions.

The goal: Build consistency, learn sportsmanship, and start experiencing the competitive side of tennis in a positive way.

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Ages 11–14: Developing Athletes

This is often when children become more serious. If they show commitment and interest, 4–6 hours per week is a healthy range. Training should now include a mix of private lessons, group sessions, match play, and some physical conditioning.

The goal: Sharpen technical skills while teaching resilience and responsibility.

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Ages 15+: Performance Pathway

For players aiming to compete at a higher level, 6–10+ hours per week is common. This may include on-court training, tournament play, fitness work, and recovery.

The goal: Balance intensity with recovery to prevent burnout. Parents and coaches should work closely together to monitor progress and wellbeing.

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What If My Child Wants to Be a National Champion or a Pro Player?

If your child has serious aspirations of competing at the highest levels — whether that’s becoming a national champion or pursuing a professional career — then the training schedule will need to be a lot fuller than the averages above.

This could mean:

• Daily training sessions (often two per day, combining tennis and physical conditioning).

• 10–20+ hours per week on court and in the gym.

• Regular tournament play, both local and interstate, to gain experience under pressure.

• Professional support from coaches, fitness trainers, and sometimes even nutritionists or sports psychologists.

It’s a demanding pathway — and not every child needs to follow it. The key is that the child is self-motivated, enjoys the process, and has strong support around them to balance training, recovery, school, and social life.

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Key Principles for Every Age

• Quality beats quantity. Two focused, energetic sessions are worth more than five distracted ones.

• Listen to your child. If they’re dreading tennis or showing signs of fatigue, scale back.

• Diversify. Encourage other sports and activities, especially for younger children. Multisport athletes often develop better coordination and avoid overuse injuries.

• Rest matters. Downtime and unstructured play are just as important as training.

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Final Thought

Tennis is a journey, not a race. The “right” number of hours depends less on age alone and more on your child’s enjoyment, motivation, and long-term health. For some, that might mean 2 hours a week. For others with professional aspirations, it could mean a full-time schedule.

As a parent, the best thing you can do is ensure that tennis remains a source of growth, learning, and joy. Champions aren’t made overnight — they’re built step by step, with the right balance of training, rest, and support.