Do you socialize with your tennis buddies outside of the tennis scene?

goober · Jul 22, 2006

There's a bunch of guys I play with regularly but they are pretty much just tennis friends. We never see other outside a tennis setting. There's one guy I have been playing with for more than a year and I don't even know what is his occupation. We sit around at tournaments and almost always talk tennis during the down time between matches-pros, upcoming opponents, stringing racquets, ect. My wife asks me about them and I feel that I barely even know them even though I see them probably more than my "real friends"

Is this pretty common?

Grigollif1 · Jul 22, 2006

Same Here Goober.... Most tennis friends are really on the court. You just get used to calling them to play Tennis, altough one of my closest friend Since High School is also a Tennis Player. But, the funny thing is that I know a Few guys that we are not really friends and don't necesseraly get along so much, But they call me to paly tennis...hehe! It's our only connection.

Lakoste · Jul 22, 2006

Unless they're female, not really

d_frank · Jul 22, 2006

kind of. My friends in my grade and the grade below me chill with me from time to time, or we used alot more in the past. The guys that just graduated - not so much.

vkartikv · Jul 22, 2006

Yes, we begin by exchanging courtesies but then its down to business. And when we are done, we don't see each other unless we are back on the court. My partners are in their mid 20's so there is not much time to socialise during the week since we all work or go to school.

The other reason for this (probable) is that its an individual sport. In a team sport, you tend to spend more time with your mates and you socialise with them outside of the sport. All my players on my cricket team are close friends...

scez · Jul 22, 2006

I am really friendly with the people I play tennis with, we are all good friends but we never do anything besides tennis together

The only people I play tennis with and do other things with is people who I didnt meet through tennis.

Topaz · Jul 22, 2006

Hmmm, I'm surprised that pretty much everyone here has said no. I've made some great new friends through tennis.

LN_Dad · Jul 22, 2006

Sometimes we'd have a beer and hang out at the club afterwards but never just going out for a beer without a match being the draw.

Dedans Penthouse · Jul 22, 2006

I . hang out . with them in the locker room, but that's about it.

Ky0shiro · Jul 22, 2006

All of my tennis buddies are people I met before tennis, they got me to play tennis

.

quest01 · Jul 22, 2006

goober said:
There's a bunch of guys I play with regularly but they are pretty much just tennis friends. We never see other outside a tennis setting. There's one guy I have been playing with for more than a year and I don't even know what is his occupation. We sit around at tournaments and almost always talk tennis during the down time between matches-pros, upcoming opponents, stringing racquets, ect. My wife asks me about them and I feel that I barely even know them even though I see them probably more than my "real friends"

Is this pretty common?

Its common for me. I would classify the people i hit with as "tennis friends" only. The only time i hit against these guys are when im playing tennis. Most of the guys i hit against are 20 years older then me, so they probably wouldnt want to hang out with me anyways.

LN_Dad · Jul 22, 2006

quest01 said:
Its common for me. I would classify the people i hit with as "tennis friends" only. The only time i hit against these guys are when im playing tennis. Most of the guys i hit against are 20 years older then me, so they probably wouldnt want to hang out with me anyways.

How come you don't play with people in your age group?

SydneyJim · Jul 22, 2006

i usually hang out with some of the guys i travel with... =)

palikero · Jul 22, 2006

I also dont hang out with tennis buddies normally. Only see those guys at the courts. I guess it would feel weird for me to see them in anything besides tennis clothing haha.

I tend to think of it being a situational relationship. On one hand, they are your peer/friend who you discuss tennis with, however, on the other hand, they are your enemy that you aim to defeat. So, in a way, it restricts a closeness you'd have with a normal friend who you don't worry about having to beat.

tonyjh63 · Jul 23, 2006

I hang out with my tennis friends all the time. We do stuff outside of tennis, like whitewater rafting, we go see the Christmas lights, get together at each others' houses, even went to a comedy concert together (James Gregory - funny guy!). I'm usually the one getting it together, but sometimes, someone else will come up with something.

XFactorer · Jul 23, 2006

This past semester, I had a "tennis boyfriend." We would meet 3 to 5 times a week and just play tennis when we felt like it. Other than that, we don't talk to each other outside the tennis courts or have lunch or go shopping or whatever. It's kinda like the "f*** buddy" thing, really. Just get together to do one thing... then move on with life until the next time we both wanna... y'know.

goober · Jul 23, 2006

XFactorer said:
This past semester, I had a "tennis boyfriend." We would meet 3 to 5 times a week and just play tennis when we felt like it. Other than that, we don't talk to each other outside the tennis courts or have lunch or go shopping or whatever. It's kinda like the "f*** buddy" thing, really. Just get together to do one thing... then move on with life until the next time we both wanna... y'know.

Umm you must be really good at tennis then if that is all he is interested in- not that there is anything wrong with that.

LN_Dad · Jul 23, 2006

XFactorer said:
This past semester, I had a "tennis boyfriend." We would meet 3 to 5 times a week and just play tennis when we felt like it. Other than that, we don't talk to each other outside the tennis courts or have lunch or go shopping or whatever. It's kinda like the "f*** buddy" thing, really. Just get together to do one thing... then move on with life until the next time we both wanna... y'know.

That's a bit odd. I had a girlfriend in college who was a decent tennis player but the best part about hitting with her was that she always wore short and tight tennis skirts......

35ft6 · Jul 23, 2006

When I was younger my friends WERE my tennis buddies, then when I turned about 15 I started hanging out with a, um, more alcohol loving crowd and it's been all downhill since. Since then, nobody I play tennis with has been my primary friends.

Right now, I don't interact socially off the courts with anybody I play tennis with.

Dopke · Jul 23, 2006

I think for the most part if you played HS tennis, you will make a lot of friends that eventually you hang out with outside of tennis too. But the tennis friends you meet at the tennis club and stuff, not so much. But it happens.

tykrum · Jul 23, 2006

XFactorer said:
This past semester, I had a "tennis boyfriend." We would meet 3 to 5 times a week and just play tennis when we felt like it. Other than that, we don't talk to each other outside the tennis courts or have lunch or go shopping or whatever. It's kinda like the "f*** buddy" thing, really. Just get together to do one thing... then move on with life until the next time we both wanna... y'know.

I have this type of relationship with a girl, except we are starting to hang out outside of tennis a little bit now. Next step is getting rid of the boyfriend haha.

RiosTheGenius · Jul 23, 2006

why not...

goober · Jun 12, 2007

Hah just the other day. I played this guy one set that went 7-6. During the change over he starts talking about all kinds of things not tennis related. After 10 minutes of this he declares he is too tired to play and it is too hot (100 degrees) to continue. So he keeps gabbing about all kinds of things. His wifes comes to meet him with their daughter and they find out I have kids the same age. Now we are all going out as a 2 family outing next week.

tennis_hand · Jun 13, 2007

I think this question only applies to those whom u play often with, not some one-off player.

for some of them, I know them before I played tennis with them, so yes I do socialize with them.

for another one, I know him through playing tennis. but we do some socialization, because he is such a person. I am such a person too. we talk about all things.

for the rest, I don't. Some of them aren't very open, and some are serious with everything so it is hard to break the atmosphere. If a person is not open with his life outside tennis, there is no way u can socialize with him outside tennis. Otherwise, what to talk about? still tennis? lol..

but personally, I like to play with people who are fun and who can extend to the social circles, unless I'm in a competition.

princess bossass · Jun 13, 2007

Tennis is the only thing I have in common with the women I play with. We don't socialize outside of tennis, and we don't want to; I think they're all great people, I just can't imagine tennis and only tennis forming the foundation of a friendship with someone I would have no common ground with otherwise.

That said, my favorite hitting partner is my boyfriend. I'm so lucky we have tennis in common.

Buuurnz · Jun 13, 2007

My Tennis Buddies are real good friends...We've been playing at the club together for many many years and got real good friends...!
We do stuff outside of playing tennis a lot like partyingjust hanging out and travelling!

BreakPoint · Jun 13, 2007

Nope, I don't socialize with the people I play tennis with outside of tennis. All the people I play tennis with I met through tennis and not before. So although I know a lot of tennis players, they are just that - people I play tennis with. Although most of them are very nice guys, I think the reason we don't socialize outside of tennis is that when we have free time, we'd rather be out on the court playing tennis than doing anything else anyway.

armand · Jun 13, 2007

Yes I socialize and I'm surprised that I'm one of the few here because I'm not such a social person. But I play and captain a team and the team atmosphere makes things more friendly I guess.

But now that I think of it, I think all the socializing began when an opposing player from our small winter league invited us to the bar next door after our match a few years ago. Now this dude is really social and has a big personality and so most people agreed.
So I guess he got the ball rolling and I now I can safely call (some)people I play tennis with my friends. We golf, hit the niteclubs, go drinking, check out restaraunts, pubs etc

rasajadad · Jun 13, 2007

Interesting thread in that I thought I was just antisocial. My story; I have been playing for 40 years and I almost never have tennis friends become real friends. #1 was a guy on my HS team that we ended up hanging together. #2 was a guy on my college team. By the way, I don't see these guys any more. #3 was a guy on my men's team who I started hanging out with mostly because our wives became friendly. Pretty bleak!

Big Fed · Jun 13, 2007

I always be chillin with my tennis buds.

basil J · Jun 13, 2007

I'm 46 and agree with breakpoint. I get along great with my tennis buddies, but with kids, wives, work etc, when I have free time, I want to be on the courts with them. I do set up barbecues and family outings and invite my tennis buddies and their wives or girlfriends over, so I do occassionaly socialize offcourt, but I would say that the majority of time I play tennis with my tennis buddies and any time we spend together offcourt is a bonus. Incidently, I am in sales, and so are most of the guys I play tennis with, so we do have a good amount of phone conversations in regards to work, wives kids etc, but usually face time is spent on the court due to time limitations.

Geezer Guy · Jun 13, 2007

I'd say my tennis buddies are - for the most part - my closest friends. Still, it's not like we hang out together all the time when we're NOT playing tennis. My wife and I have several couples that we socialize with. In general, I'd say I like my tennis buddies better than the husbands of the socialize-with couples. I guess my wife and I could socialize with my tennis buddies and their wives - but I kind of like having everything separate.

Kind of reminds me of an old Seinfeld episode.

goober · May 17, 2008

Update: I have been hanging out with two tennis buds a lot lately- family get togethers, dinner, ect.

Interestingly a lot of physicians and other health professionals play tennis I have found.

Richie Rich · May 17, 2008

Dedans Penthouse said:
I . hang out . with them in the locker room, but that's about it.

:shock: :shock:

even after a cold shower?????

Rafael_Nadal_6257 · May 17, 2008

Dopke said:
I think for the most part if you played HS tennis, you will make a lot of friends that eventually you hang out with outside of tennis too. But the tennis friends you meet at the tennis club and stuff, not so much. But it happens.

Yeah, that's true for the most part, I would think.

quest01 · May 17, 2008

This is a good question because I am very close to a few of my Tennis buddies, male or female. Usually every weekend me and a few friends will either go to a bar or strip club and have a few beers. It doesn't matter if your male or female, we will just get together somehow and find a place to hangout. A matter of fact I just got back from a bar but I only had 1 beer, I just went there to hang out and socialize with a few Tennis and non Tennis friends, mostly friends I have met from graduating college.

Steady Eddy · May 17, 2008

We set up tennis thru email. One time one guy decided we should go someplace for some beers. He showed up, so did I, and only one other guy.

We play tennis once a week. But that's the only time we see each other.

quest01 · May 17, 2008

Steady Eddy said:
We set up tennis thru email. One time one guy decided we should go someplace for some beers. He showed up, so did I, and only one other guy.

We play tennis once a week. But that's the only time we see each other.

I'm pretty close to a few of my Tennis friends, male and female so usually we set up Tennis through email or by phone and afterwards (later on in the day) we will go to a bar, nightclub or have a few beers off my friends boat at night because I live near a lake.

herosol · May 17, 2008

well lets say tennis team for me in high school.

some are just too socially awkward, some are just aren't interested in the same stuff outside of tennis.

so i play tennis with them. joke around. hahas.
but at school it's like no contact, cause i swear sometimes.
they just don't get it.

Do you socialize with your tennis buddies outside of the tennis scene?

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