Light tensor mesons ($T={a}_{2}$, ${f}_{2}$ and ${K}_{2}^{*}$) can be produced in decays of $\ensuremath{\tau}$ leptons. In this paper we compute the branching ratios of $\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}T\ensuremath{\pi}\ensuremath{\nu}$ decays by assuming the dominance of intermediate virtual states to model the form factors involved in the relevant hadronic matrix elements. The exclusive ${f}_{2}(1270){\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ decay mode turns out to have the largest branching ratio, of $O({10}^{\ensuremath{-}4})$. Our results indicate that the contribution of tensor meson intermediate states to the three-pseudoscalar channels of $\ensuremath{\tau}$ decays are rather small.