When to restring a tennis racket
TenisRaketi Editör Ekibi · Updated October 2026
Short answer
The practical rule: restring as many times a year as the days you play per week. If you play three days a week, three times a year. With polyester, restring more often; it goes dead within weeks even if it does not break. If the racket feels harsh, balls fly long or the strings stay out of place, it is time.
In this guide
Waiting for strings to break before restringing is the most common mistake. From the moment they are strung, strings lose tension and elasticity, and the feel changes long before they break. This guide covers how often to restring and how to tell when it is time.
The practical rule
Restring as many times a year as the days you play per week.
Days you play per week | Restrings per year | Roughly every |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Year |
2 | 2 | 6 months |
3 | 3 | 4 months |
4 | 4 | 3 months |
5 or more | 5 or more | 2 months or sooner |
This rule is a good start for multifilament and synthetic gut. With polyester, restring more often: polyester loses tension faster and goes dead without breaking. For a regular player, restringing polyester every 1–2 months is common. If you play tournaments, put in fresh strings before an important match.
How strings lose tension
Strings relax from the moment they come off the stringing machine. The fastest loss is in the first 24 hours; it continues more slowly over the following weeks. Every shot takes a little more. Heat speeds it up too: leaving the racket in a hot car in summer makes the strings relax faster. What tension does, and how many kg to choose, is in the tension guide.
Signs the strings are dead
- The racket feels harsh and dull. The early liveliness is gone and the ball comes off "like wood".
- Balls fly long or you have less control. At lower tension the ball springs off the strings more.
- The mains slide sideways and stay there. The strings have notched into each other and spin drops. More in the strings and spin guide.
- The multifilament has frayed. Some fraying is normal, but heavy fraying means a break is near.
- Your arm tires sooner than it used to. With polyester especially, dead strings put more load on the arm.
- You can see clear notches or thinning on the string.
When a string breaks
Do not keep playing with a broken string: the rest are pulled unevenly and the frame takes uneven load. Cut out the remaining strings and take the racket to a stringer. Cut them as soon as you can, so the tense strings do not strain the frame on one side for long.
What to tell your stringer
- The string's name and gauge (for example "1.25 mm").
- The tension, in kg or lb. For a hybrid, one for the mains and one for the crosses.
- For a hybrid, which string goes in the mains.
- If you liked your last setup, ask for the same again.
Note down the tension, the string and the date you restrung. Different stringing machines can give slightly different results at the same number; staying with a stringer you are happy with keeps things consistent.
Strings on a new racket
Most performance rackets are sold unstrung; those that come strung usually have a basic synthetic gut from the factory, and there is no telling how long it has sat on the shelf. Stringing a new racket with your own choice of string and tension is the best way to get to know it. For the racket side, see the guide to choosing a racket.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a tennis racket be restrung?
It depends on how many days you play per week. Once a week means once a year; three days a week means three times a year, or about every 4 months. With polyester, restring more often.
Do I need to restring if the strings have not broken?
Yes. Strings lose tension and elasticity before they break. If the racket feels harsh, balls fly long or the strings stay out of place, restring even if nothing has broken.
How long does polyester string last?
Polyester rarely breaks but goes dead quickly. For a regular player, restringing polyester every 1–2 months is common. Waiting for it to break means weeks of playing with dead strings.
Why do strings lose tension in the first days?
Strings start to stretch and relax the moment they are strung. The fastest loss is in the first 24 hours, then it slows. It happens with every string and is more marked with polyester.
When should I cut out my strings?
As soon as one breaks. The rest strain the frame unevenly. Cut them out and take the racket to a stringer.
More guides on this topic
- How to choose tennis stringsFor most players multifilament or synthetic gut is a safe starting point. Hard hitters who break strings often go for polyester, and players who put arm health first choose multifilament or natural gut. A gauge of about 1.25 mm is a good balance.
- Tennis string tension: what should it be?Start in the middle of the range printed on your racket: the exact middle for multifilament, synthetic and natural gut, and about 1 kg (2 lb) lower for polyester. Lower tension gives more power and comfort, higher tension gives more control. Change it by no more than 1 kg at a time.
- Types of tennis stringsThere are four main types: natural gut (softest, most expensive), multifilament (soft and powerful), synthetic gut (cheap, all-round) and polyester (stiff, controlled, durable). Aramid is only used in hybrids. How fast you break strings and how sensitive your arm is decide the type.
- How to choose tennis string gauge1.25–1.30 mm is a good balance for most players. Thin strings (1.15–1.20 mm) give more feel and a little more spin but break sooner; thick strings (1.30 mm and up) last longer. Gauge numbers vary between brands, so always go by millimetres.
- How strings affect spinMost spin comes from your swing; strings make it easier or harder. On the string side the biggest effect is the mains sliding and snapping back: a slick polyester and an open string pattern increase it. A shaped cross-section has a smaller effect, and it fades as the string wears.
- How to choose arm-friendly stringsNatural gut and multifilament are the easiest strings on the arm. If you want to use polyester, choose a soft model, a thin gauge and a tension at the low end of the range, and restring before it goes dead. A vibration dampener does not protect your arm.