Will Wet Courts or Weather Affect My Racket or Strings?

It is the time of the year in Florida when playing tennis is very weather dependent. It seems to rain most days and sooner or later, you will find yourself playing on wet courts or even finishing in the rain.
We get asked if doing so will hurt their strings or rackets. For the most part, the answer is no.
The rackets will not be affected by water with the exception of the grips. They will take time to dry out and may not last as long if getting saturated often (yes, that includes perspiration).
As for strings, poly and synthetic strings are not negatively affected by rain. Natural gut strings are another story. They are very dehydrated and will absorb moisture when they can. This will cause them to lose performance and longevity.  In addition, keeping a racket strung with natural gut in a garage this time of year will hurt the overall performance and durability. Keeping them inside in the air conditioning will keep them playing better, longer.
There is one thing to consider when playing on wet courts or in the rain. The balls will absorb the moisture and will get heavier. Impact with a wet ball will feel different. This is more from the ball than the strings. It will not hurt the synthetic or poly strings to play in those conditions.