ALERT: Summer heat and tennis racquets in cars

We’re always getting questions about racquets in cars during the heat of the summer. It’s important to understand that the racquet is the least of your worries. It’s the string that ends up being damaged when exposed to extreme heat.

Racquets in extreme heat

During the summer months, you may think about taking your racquet with you because you have a match right after work. Let’s assume you leave it in the cab of the car and your car is parked outside. As the ambient temperature rises, so does the inside temperature in your car. The vast majority of tennis strings are made from nylon and when you leave your racquet in that kind of heat, the strings are going to expand and in turn, the tension is negatively affected.

So, if you decide to take your racquet to work, our best advice is to take it inside and keep it in a controlled environment to protect your string.  Below is a chart that depicts how fast the temperature raises in the cab of a car in the summer heat. The chart is a warning about leaving your pet in the car. The same applies to your “pet” tennis racquet!