Every summer, millions of us take to the court — in parks, clubs, and leisure centres across the UK. But there’s an opponent that doesn’t show up in the draw: UV radiation. And unlike a tough first serve, this one can cause lasting harm.
Tennis is one of the most sun-exposed sports on the planet. Whether you’re competing at club level or playing a social doubles match on a Saturday afternoon, you’re spending extended time outdoors, often between 10am and 4pm — the peak hours for UV intensity. Match that with reflective hard court surfaces and the cumulative effect of years of play, and the skin cancer risk becomes significant.
The statistics make for sobering reading. Skin cancer is the most common cancer of all, and melanoma — its most dangerous form — is rising globally. Researchers estimate around 325,000 new cases every year, with deaths projected to increase by 50% by 2040.
A Warning from the Top of the Game
It’s not just recreational players who are at risk. Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick recently issued an urgent public health warning after opening up about his years-long experience with various types of skin cancer, including a tumour removed from his lip.
Roddick’s story is a powerful reminder: if sun damage can affect a professional athlete with every resource available to him, it can affect any one of us.
The Hidden Danger: Your Eyes
Beyond the skin, UV radiation poses a serious — and often overlooked — risk to eye health. Tennis legend Chris Evert has called eye damage the tour’s “nasty little secret.” Recent screenings by the LTA at the National Tennis Centre found that three in ten players showed signs of UV-related eye damage. It’s a finding that should give every club player pause.
Why Tennis Players Are Particularly Vulnerable
Several factors combine to make tennis players a higher-risk group:
- Duration of exposure — matches and training sessions can last hours
- Peak UV hours — courts are often busiest when UV is strongest
- Reflective surfaces — hard courts and white lines intensify UV exposure
- Skin left uncovered — arms, legs, face, and the back of the neck are routinely exposed
Years of cumulative damage — even if you played as a teenager and took it up again in your 40s, that early exposure counts
What the Professionals Are Doing Differently
Encouragingly, attitudes are shifting. Carlos Alcaraz incorporates SPF protection into his daily training routine. Cameron Norrie uses a heavy-duty zinc sunscreen — white stripe and all — because it’s the only formula robust enough for a long match. Stars including Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe, and Madison Keys are all now associated with sun protection brands, helping to normalise what was once seen as an afterthought.
The Court-Side Sun Safety Checklist
Whatever your level of play, these steps should become as habitual as warming up:
- SPF 50+ broad-spectrum sunscreen — protecting against both UVA and UVB rays
- Mineral (zinc oxide) formula — sweat-resistant, less likely to sting eyes or affect your grip
- Apply before you dress — let it absorb fully to avoid staining your whites
- Full-brimmed hat — caps leave the ears and back of the neck exposed; a full brim is worth it
- UV-rated sunglasses — protection against both discomfort and long-term eye damage
- Reapply during changeovers — sunscreen breaks down with sweat and time
The Most Important Step: Getting Checked defining the Running Ritual
Sunscreen matters. But so does knowing what’s already there.
“We see a consistent pattern in our clinics — patients who have spent years playing sport outdoors, often without adequate sun protection, presenting with concerning lesions they’ve had for some time but never had assessed. Tennis players, golfers, cyclists — anyone who accumulates significant UV exposure over a lifetime is in a higher-risk group. The good news is that when skin cancer is caught early, outcomes are excellent. An annual skin check is a small investment that can make an enormous difference.”
— David Veitch, Medical Director, The MOLE Clinic
We recommend that any regular tennis player — whether you play once a week or five times — books an annual full-body skin check. This is especially important if you:
- Have played regularly for ten years or more
- Have fair skin, light eyes, or a family history of skin cancer
- Have previously had sunburn, or played without SPF protection
- Have noticed any new or changing moles, lesions, or patches of skin
Book Your Annual Skin Check
At The MOLE Clinic, our dermatology-trained clinicians carry out thorough, expert skin assessments using the latest dermoscopy technology. Appointments are available across our UK clinics, with no GP referral needed. Book a professional skin check today.
Early detection saves lives. Don’t leave it until something looks wrong.
The MOLE Clinic is a UK-based private skin cancer screening and dermatology provider. We offer mole checks, full-body skin examinations, and specialist dermatology services at clinics across the UK.