want to pick up tennis, shill me on entry level gear pls

Try out 2-3 rackets (you can get demos from a local shop), pick the one you like most, don’t change it for 2 years.

3 good ones to try if you’re new:
- Pure Drive 100
- Ezone 100
- Clash 100

String with any kind of synthetic hit string, at around 52 lbs tension.

These are all high end rackets but pretty neutral / default settings. Will give you a high ceiling and plenty of room to tune as you go.

For shoes just get real tennis shoes, not running shoes.

Are they minimalist shoes as in barefoot shoes or what?

You need proper tennis shoes for tennis. Barefoot shoes, or minimalist running shoes, have too soft of rubber to change direction effectively on the court without the shoes getting destroyed or destroying your ankle.

🙏 🙏 

would using my existing ~minimalist shoes be a mistake?