Tennis players and fans love the game. Whether or not they play tennis, used to play tennis, have a child that plays tennis, or they just watch tennis on TV, all tennis fans love the game. If you have a tennis fan on your holiday shopping list, stay away from expensive tennis rackets and equipment, and instead think about giving a small gift basket or stocking stuffers that are all about tennis.

The thing to know about tennis players is that they can be very particular about their tennis equipment. There are so many different rackets and balls and shoes that even the person you're shopping for may have a hard time deciding. Best for gift giving purposes to stay away from that type of purchase as it can be quite expensive and your chances of choosing the right one are not very good.

Here are some great gift ideas for tennis players and fans that don’t cost a lot but will be very much appreciated on Christmas morning.

• Tennis Balls: there is a difference, but tennis players always need balls, even if it’s not the preferred brand, you can’t go wrong with this gift


• Vibration Dampener: most players use them, choose from traditional or now they have cute smiley face ones available


• Sugarpova Candy: okay so this is kind of a novelty gift, but fun for any tennis fan


• Socks: everyone wears socks, for men maybe stay with a brand such as Nike, but for women, there are lots of fun colors and KBell has several tennis-theme designs that women will enjoy


• Hat: choose from baseball cap, visor or headband, not all tennis players wear them for tennis, but any of these choices can be worn off the court as well


• Tennis Towel: this is a great gift choice, from basic hand towels to tennis theme to cooling chamois, can’t go wrong with any of those


• Novelty: some tennis shops and specialty stores will carry note cards, serving trays, photo frames, etc

Buying a new tennis racket for a gift, unless you know exactly the specification, is generally not recommended. The one exception is if you are shopping for a beginning tennis player. For anyone first starting out in tennis, it doesn’t much matter what tennis racket you use, so any inexpensive tennis racket and can of balls that you find at the local sporting goods store would make a great gift. Keep in mind that if the gift is for a child, you want to make sure to select a junior size racket and balls that are designed for kids.

Happy shopping!