Body weight
At the same MET value and duration, the equation estimates a greater energy cost for a heavier person.
Tennis Calorie Calculator
A 70 kg person burns about 250 calories in 30 minutes of moderate tennis.
Your estimate changes with playing format, body weight and time.
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CALORIES BY ACTIVITY & TIME
Calories burned tennis
Choose the playing format that best matches your session. Leave out long breaks, time waiting for a court and time spent watching.
| Activity preset | 15 min | 30 min | 60 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hitting balls Non-game practice, moderate effort | 92 kcal | 184 kcal | 368 kcal |
| Doubles Taylor Code 430 reference | 110 kcal | 221 kcal | 441 kcal |
| General tennis Moderate effort | 125 kcal | 250 kcal | 500 kcal |
| Singles Taylor Code 420 reference | 147 kcal | 294 kcal | 588 kcal |
TENNIS CALCULATOR
Calculate calories burned during tennis
Choose the playing format that best matches your session. Leave out long breaks, time waiting for a court and time spent watching.
Your workout is one part of the day.
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WHY THE NUMBER VARIES
What changes tennis calorie burn?
The same session length can involve different amounts of effort.
Playing format
Singles usually involves more court coverage per player than doubles. Non-game practice uses a separate preset.
Time included
Choose the playing format that best matches your session. Leave out long breaks, time waiting for a court and time spent watching.
Individual variation
Technique, fitness and physiology can make actual expenditure differ from the reference estimate.
Calculation methodology and sources
These estimates use activity-specific MET values from the 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities.
Activity presets
Hitting balls: 5 MET (code 15695); Doubles: 6 MET (code 15680); General tennis: 6.8 MET (code 15675); Singles: 8 MET (code 15690).
The Compendium also lists another doubles entry at 4.5 MET. This calculator explicitly uses code 15680 at 6.0 MET; it is not a universal value for every doubles session.
Calorie calculation
Estimated kcal = MET × 3.5 × body weight in kilograms ÷ 200 × duration in minutes.
The table and calculator round to whole kcal. These are total (gross) calories, including energy the body would use at rest during the same interval.
Assumptions and limitations
Choose the playing format that best matches your session. Leave out long breaks, time waiting for a court and time spent watching.
The Adult Compendium provides population reference values, principally for adults aged 19–59. Effort varies within real sessions, and the result is not an individualized measurement.
Related calorie-burn activities
Common questions about tennis calories
How many calories does 30 minutes of tennis burn?
For 70 kg body weight, the general tennis reference estimates about 250 total calories in 30 minutes. Choose the activity preset that matches your session.
How many calories does an hour of tennis burn?
At 70 kg, the presets on this page range from about 368 to 588 total calories per hour. Actual effort can differ.
Are these active calories or total calories?
These are total calories during the activity, including resting energy. A watch showing only active calories may display a lower number.
Should I include breaks?
Choose the playing format that best matches your session. Leave out long breaks, time waiting for a court and time spent watching.
Why does my watch give a different result?
Watches may use heart rate and personal data. This calculator uses fixed MET references, body weight and time, so the estimates can differ.