Nasal Strips vs Breathwork in Tennis: What Actually Improves Performance

The strip seen round Paris

The French Open put a small beige sticker on center stage. By late May 2025, television cameras found a growing number of pros warming up or competing with nasal strips. Several players credited the bands with easier breathing and faster recovery between points, sparked in part by high-profile usage. Reporting from Paris captured the moment and the skepticism in equal measure, including the note that evidence for performance improvement is thin outside of athletes with true nasal obstruction. That is the perfect entry point for a practical question: if you want to breathe better tennis, what actually works on court and what is just buzz? AP’s on-site coverage from Paris captured both the trend and the caveats.

What a nasal strip really does

A nasal strip is a springy adhesive that lifts the soft part of your nose to reduce nasal airflow resistance. Think of it like propping open a swinging door so it does not stick. This can make nasal breathing feel easier at rest and during lower intensities. In lab tests, strips can slightly delay the point when a person switches from nasal to mouth breathing during graded exercise. That is real. The leap many make is that this comfort boost equals improved tennis performance. That is where the evidence does not keep up.

Tennis is not a steady treadmill test. It is a burst-and-brake sport with explosive accelerations, decelerations, and rapid changes of direction. During long or high-speed rallies, or during heavy serves and returns, the ventilatory demand quickly exceeds what most noses can handle alone. Your body will naturally pull air through both mouth and nose when it needs to. A strip does not override that basic physiology.

There are two clear exceptions where a strip can help. First, if you have structural nasal limitations like a deviated septum or residual post-surgical stiffness, opening the nasal valve can move you from uncomfortable to functional. Second, if you are anxious or tend to over-breathe through your mouth between points, a strip may be a tactile reminder to slow down and feel airflow at the nose. Both are legitimate. Neither is magic.

The recovery window that decides points

The most valuable place to win with breathing is not inside a rally. It is the 15 to 25 seconds after it. In that small window, the autonomic nervous system is trying to switch from full throttle to controlled readiness. The faster your heart rate drops and your carbon dioxide tolerance stabilizes, the sooner you regain accurate perception, smooth timing, and a steady hand on the racquet.

On-court, that recovery window is shaped by three controllable elements:

• Posture: tall through the crown, ribs relaxed, shoulders heavy, belly free to expand. Hunched chest and shrugged shoulders make shallow breaths and poor gas exchange.
• Cadence: a slow, regular rhythm that favors slightly longer exhales than inhales.
• Focus: a simple two-step cue that keeps you from ruminating on the last error.

Get those three right and you can feel the shift. The bounce in your legs returns. Your mind narrows to the next serve or return pattern. Your hands loosen. You make cleaner contact on the first ball of the next point. If you felt matches speed up in 2025, see ELC changed tempo and training for why between-point routines matter even more now.

The science behind slow breathing for sport

Slow-paced breathing clusters around a sweet spot near six breaths per minute. That is five seconds in and five seconds out, or a small bias to a longer out-breath such as four seconds in and six seconds out. At this tempo, many athletes see measurable increases in heart rate variability, a proxy for healthy vagal activity and flexible recovery. Recent exercise studies suggest that after intense bouts, six-breath pacing can bring down perceived exertion and heart rate more efficiently than common square patterns like box breathing that hold the air in and out for equal counts. In practical terms, less strain and faster readiness for the next effort. A 2025 randomized crossover study comparing box breathing to six-breath pacing after high-intensity intervals found lower post-exercise heart rate and lower perceived exertion in the six-breath condition, supporting what many coaches have observed trackside and courtside. Post-HIIT recovery favored six breaths per minute.

Mechanistically, slow breathing aligns your respiratory cycle with natural blood pressure oscillations, which appears to amplify baroreflex sensitivity. When the baroreflex is responsive, your heart rate adjusts quickly to pressure changes, which aids rapid recovery between points. Slow breathing also allows carbon dioxide to rise modestly, shifting the urge to over-breathe and supporting steadier oxygen delivery to the brain and working muscles. The result is more clarity, smoother footwork, and steadier swing tempo on the next ball.

A four-week, court-ready breathing plan

Below is a simple progression you can run during the season. It fits inside a normal training week and uses three slots: warm-up, between-point, and changeover. Keep your racquet in hand when you can. Practice how you will play.

Guiding rules for all four weeks

• The nose is for the inhale whenever reasonable. The mouth is available on the exhale when intensity jumps.
• Favor longer exhales. If you get lightheaded, shorten the exhale and return to normal breathing.
• Keep posture tall, ribs soft, and shoulders heavy.
• If you feel anxiety rising, lengthen the exhale a bit more and look at a fixed point like the back fence sign for two cycles.

Week 1: Learn the gears

Goal: establish a clear breathing rhythm off court and carry it into easy hitting.

1. Warm-up CO2 Primer, 5 minutes

• Nose in for 3 seconds, purse lips out for 4 seconds, walk the sideline. Every minute, add one second to the exhale until you reach 3 in and 6 out. Stop if you feel air hunger.
• Two times total. This is a gentle way to raise carbon dioxide tolerance before you hit.

2. Shadow Swings plus Breath, 6 minutes

• Split step on inhale. Unit turn and swing path on exhale. Recover step on a small breath in. Fold this into your dynamic warm-up.

3. Between-Point Cycle, 2 breaths every point during drills

• After each rally or serve, do two cycles of four seconds in and six seconds out. Use the strings or your logo as a visual anchor on the exhale. Then step up to the line.

4. Changeover Reset, one minute

• Sit tall, two feet flat, hands on thighs. Five breaths at five in and five out. Keep your gaze soft at shoulder height. Slower is not always better here. You are resetting, not dozing.

Week 2: Stabilize under mild stress

Goal: keep the rhythm during structured point play and short pressure drills.

1. Warm-up CO2 Ladder, 6 minutes

• Three micro holds at the end of a normal exhale. Exhale, pause one second, inhale. Do five of these. Then go to two-second holds for five breaths. Finish with three-second holds for five breaths. Do not push into discomfort.

2. Serve plus Two, breathing script

• Before serve: one five-in, six-out cycle as you bounce the ball. During the motion: inhale on the start of your toss, exhale through contact and finish. After the point: one six-out cycle before you turn your back to the fence. Repeat.

3. Between-Point Cycle, three breaths when rallies exceed eight shots

• If the last rally was long, add a third breath and bias the exhale to seven seconds for that first breath after the rally. Then normal cadence.

4. Changeover Reset with posture scan, 60 to 75 seconds

• Three cycles at five in and six out while you scan shoulders, jaw, and grip tension. Loosen each on the exhale. Sip water only after the third breath so you do not interrupt the cadence.

Week 3: Pressure and pace

Goal: practice the rhythm after mistakes and in fast sequences.

1. Warm-up CO2 Tempo Mix, 7 minutes

• Two minutes at three in and five out. Two minutes at four in and six out. Two minutes at four in and seven out. One minute at five in and five out. Move while you do this. If you feel shaky, drop back to five and five.

2. Error Protocol

• After a double fault or shanked return in practice, look at a fixed target beyond the baseline and run exactly two breaths at four in and six out. Verbal cue on the exhale: reset. Then you step up with the same pre-serve or return routine. You train your first reaction to be physiological control, not commentary. For inspiration on pressure habits, study Sinner’s pressure routines.

3. High-Pace Drills

• For four-ball patterns or rapid-feed returns, use a short inhale through the nose between balls and a firm exhale on contact. As soon as the sequence ends, go right into two slow breaths before gathering balls. The message to your nervous system is clear: surge, then settle.

4. Changeover Reset with visualization

• Five breaths at four in and six out. On the middle breath, visualise the first pattern you will run in the next two points. Keep the picture short and boring: serve wide, backhand into the open court, close.

Week 4: Personalization and test week

Goal: find your personal resonance and stress test it.

1. Warm-up Resonance Test, 6 to 8 minutes

• Try five in and five out for one minute. Then four in and six out for one minute. Then six in and six out for one minute. Choose the one that makes you feel the calmest and most focused. That is your match cadence for the week.

2. Scrimmage with a timer

• During practice sets, stick to two slow breaths between points and your chosen changeover cadence. Have your coach or partner note heart rate recovery if you wear a monitor. You are aiming for a consistent drop of at least 25 to 35 beats per minute in the first 20 seconds after a rally during training. If you do not use a monitor, rate how ready your legs feel going into the next point on a simple one to five scale and chase consistency, not peak.

3. Pressure Ladder

• Play to seven. After every unforced error, you must do three breaths at your cadence before the next point starts. If you rush, you lose a penalty point. This wires the behavior.

4. Changeover Debrief

• First half of the changeover is breathing. Second half is one sentence: either a cue for the next point or a single tactical objective. No analysis beyond that.

Adapting for juniors, rec players, and heat

Juniors

• Make it a game. Three slow breaths earns a point in practice. If a player talks about the last miss, they owe a reset breath before they can speak again.
• Use objects. Place a cone at the back fence where they look during the exhale. Visual anchors help younger players stick to the plan.
• Keep counts simple. Four in and six out is easier to learn than longer patterns. Once they own it, you can explore five and five.

Recreational players

• Use one rule: two slow breaths after every point in practice matches. You will reduce rushing, which is the biggest hidden error source in club play.
• Pair the breath with routine. Wipe strings on the out-breath, bounce the ball on the in-breath. Simple motor anchors prevent overthinking.
• If you get dizzy, shorten the exhale and breathe normally for a few points. The goal is steadiness, not a special state.

Heat and humidity

• Use the nose on inhales when you can, but do not force nasal-only during long rallies in hot conditions. If air feels tight, let the mouth help on the inhale.
• Between points in heat, try three breaths of three in and five out rather than four and six. You will still downshift without feeling air hunger.
• Hydration pairs with breathing. Sip early in the changeover, then breathe. If you chug, you can end up breathing against a full stomach and lose rhythm.
• Sunscreen and sweat can make adhesive strips slip. If you use a strip, wipe the nose bridge dry with a towel before applying and carry a spare. Check for skin irritation after practice.

Simple decision tree: when to use a strip

Use a strip if any of these are true

• A clinician has documented a structural nasal obstruction, or you know one nostril collapses when you inhale. The strip is a low-risk mechanical aid.
• You mouth-breathe at rest and feel panicky when you try to slow your breath between points. The tactile cue may help you retrain.
• You are on a short-term schedule at altitude and need every comfort boost you can get. For context, see strategies for playing at altitude in Quito. Expect subjective benefits more than measurable ones.

Consider a trial, not a habit, if this is you

• You are healthy and breathe well during everyday training. Run a two-week test in practice only. Track two numbers: how many breaths you take between points, and how ready your legs feel at the next serve or return. If there is no clear gain, drop it.

Skip the strip for now if

• You have recurrent skin irritation or acne at the nose bridge.
• You expect the strip to increase oxygen or endurance during long rallies. Tennis intensity will still push you to oronasal breathing when it matters.
• You hope it will fix nerves. A strip cannot replace a between-point routine and good self-talk.

Coaching cues that travel well

• Exhale on effort. Contact wants air leaving.
• Keep the inhale soft. Pull air low and quiet through the nose.
• Two breaths is a rule. When you are under pressure you forget. Rules survive pressure.
• The eyes settle the mind. Pick a sign on the back fence for the out-breath.

How to build it into your program

Breathing skills work best when they are personalized. Some athletes settle fastest at five and five, others at four and six. Some need a longer routine on hot days. Off-court training is the most underused lever in tennis. OffCourt unlocks it with personalized physical and mental programs built from how you actually play. Use a metronome or the breath pacer inside your training app, program your chosen cadence, and rehearse it while doing footwork ladders, shadow swings, and serve routines. If you coach, script the exact words you will use to cue breathing, and rehearse them the same way you rehearse tactical language.

If you want a quick on-ramp, here is a practice checklist you can print and take to the court:

• Before you hit: three minutes of CO2 primer, then two minutes of shadow swings with breath.
• During drills: two slow breaths between points. Add a third after long rallies.
• Changeovers: first half breathing, second half one sentence plan.
• After practice: two minutes of slow breathing while packing up. This teaches your nervous system how to shut down after stress.

The bottom line

Roland Garros brought a new piece of tape into the spotlight, but the real upgrade is free and already in your chest. The strip can help certain noses and some nervous systems. The routine helps everyone. Learn a slow cadence you trust, lock it to your between-point ritual, and make it as automatic as your split step. Over four weeks you will feel the change in your legs, your timing, and your choices on big balls.

Ready to put it to work? Build your cadence, test it in pressure drills, and track your recovery between points for two weeks. If you want a ready-made plan and a timer that adjusts to your rhythm, try it inside OffCourt. Then take a deep breath, and go win the next point.