Tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world, both in terms of the number of people who play it and watch it.
Unlike soccer and basketball, which are considered recreational sports for younger people, tennis is suitable for all ages.
Since there is no direct contact with the opponent, the risk of injury is significantly lower besides an errant tennis ball. Especially when playing on clay that is softer and thus a more forgiving surface than hard courts.
However, every physical activity carries the possibility of injury, and tennis is no exception. These are the most common tennis injuries and in this article, you will find out how to prevent them as well as how to recover if the injury does happen.
1. Tennis elbow
Almost everyone has heard of tennis elbow. It is a condition known clinically as lateral epicondylitis and it affects different professions such as athletes, musicians, gardeners, and many others.
Tennis players are certainly the most affected, hence the name. The main symptom of this condition is pain on the outside of the elbow. This is where the inflamed tendons join the forearm muscles. If the pain is located on the inside of the elbow, then it is the golfer’s elbow.
Lateral epicondylitis is an overuse injury, but it can also be a consequence of improper technique.
Tennis elbow can get better without treatment and it usually takes between 6 months and 2 years. Such an approach is certainly not a good solution because there is a high probability that the pain will return.
Prevention and treatment: It is necessary to strengthen the forearm, but also the muscles of the upper arm. It is the best prevention, and in the acute phase, an elbow brace, physical therapy, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can help.
2. Ankle sprain
A low ankle sprain is more common in tennis than a high ankle sprain, which is a characteristic injury for basketball and American football. An ankle sprain can be grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3.
Most ankle sprains in tennis are grade 1 and grade 2. But Alexander Zverev’s injury in the semifinals of Roland Garros against Rafael Nadal showed us that a grade 3 ankle sprain that requires surgery is certainly possible.
Sudden changes in direction lead to this injury. It is possible to avoid ankle sprains by properly sliding on clay, but ankle sprains can also happen when you jump to change direction.
Prevention and treatment: R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression and elevation) method is sufficient for most grade 1 and grade 2 ankle sprains. Grade 1 should heal in about a week, while grade 2 requires a little more time. If the ankle is swollen and completely non-functional, see a doctor.
Lower body mobility and strength should be the focus of your training as a preventative measure. Also, don’t forget the anterior and posterior tibialis, muscles that are often overlooked and play a key role in ankle stabilization.
3. Wrist tendonitis
This is one more tendonitis on our list of common injuries, which can cause a flare up that feels like repetitive strain injury. This time we will talk about inflammation of the tendons in the wrist.
Some tennis players use their wrists more when swinging the racket, and some less. Those who involve the wrist less in the movement will probably not experience inflammation of the wrist tendons, while tennis players with a different technique are prone to it. An excellent example is Juan Martin del Potro, who had a lethal forehand, but also multiple wrist surgeries.
Pain, instability, reduced range of motion, and a clicking sound are some of the signs of tendonitis.
Prevention and treatment: R.I.C.E. method and wrist brace are the first two ways you should try to get rid of the pain. In more serious cases, a splint and stem cell injections may be necessary.
Also, just as with tennis elbow, you should work on strengthening the arm, especially the forearm muscles and tendons. If wrist tendonitis is a recurring problem, you will need to change how you swing a racquet.
4. Tennis leg
Tennis leg injury is often mistaken for Achilles tendon rupture. Luckily it is nowhere near serious as an Achilles tear.
The calf consists of two muscles – the gastrocnemius and the soleus.
The tennis leg is a tear of the connective tissue between the gastrocnemius and the soleus. It occurs during a quick sprint or a jump.
In the first moment, the symptoms are similar to Achilles rupture. You will hear a popping sound, you will feel something like a blow to the back of your leg, and the pain will be present.
But the pain is located much higher up the calf than in the case of an Achilles rupture.
Prevention and treatment: In most cases, the R.I.C.E. method is all that is needed. If the muscle tear is larger, then therapy including electrotherapy, magnet therapy, and other types of therapy for sports injuries will be implemented in the recovery routine.
Calf strengthening is necessary to prevent tennis leg and other lower body muscle and tendon injuries, the most serious of which are ACL tear and Achilles rupture.
5. Rotator cuff injuries
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons around the shoulder joint that have the role of holding the humerus firmly in the socket of the shoulder, which is a ball and socket joint.
Rotator cuff injuries are very diverse. Overuse can lead to both a tear and tendonitis as shoulder injuries. Also common are acute injuries when muscles and tendons are exposed to great stress.
If you have difficulty raising your arm and feel a dull pain deep in the shoulder when you do a tennis serve, consult an orthopedist.
Prevention and treatment: Strengthening and stretching the entire upper body is necessary for injury prevention with the rotator cuff.
Nevertheless, sometimes it is impossible to avoid injury. Since the shoulder is one of the most complex parts of our body, it is difficult to say what the treatment will look like. You will certainly have to stop playing tennis for some time, but you can recover quickly. When a more serious injury occurs, surgery is usually necessary.
6. Jumper’s knee
Patellar tendonitis is also called jumper’s knee. Jumping and landing are indispensable parts of tennis. That movement pattern, especially present when you serve, puts the patellar tendon under a lot of stress.
If you decide to play tennis through the pain, you risk even more serious injuries and recovery that will last 6 or more months.
Prevention and treatment: Light stretching and anti-inflammatory drugs will help reduce symptoms. Once the symptoms begin to subside, start strengthening the lower body.
If your quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus muscles, and calves are strong enough, then they will take most of the stress when jumping and landing, leaving the patellar tendons almost untouched.
Tips for reducing the likelihood of recurring tennis injuries
Sometimes you are to blame for injuries without even realizing it.
Racket and tennis shoes
You must have your own professional tennis racket. If you take a different racket every time at the club, you have a significantly higher chance of experiencing tennis elbow.
The arm has to get used to the racket. Also, your racket will have the appropriate weight, balance, and grip size. The wrong grip size and too heavy a racket are some of the main causes of tennis elbow.
The shoes should be suitable for the surface. If you play on clay courts, don’t use basketball shoes, for example.
Warm-up and exercise routine
If you sit for 8 or more hours every day and then go play tennis, you will likely experience an injury sooner rather than later.
It is necessary to go to the gym and do appropriate exercises to strengthen the whole body, as well as to include stretching in your routine.
Before starting a tennis match, warm up for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Active stretching and other warm-up exercises will help your muscles, tendons, and heart.
Rest
The average person does not need to play tennis 5 or 6 times a week. Two to three tennis matches per week are optimal.
Professional tennis players dedicate every day for several decades to training and recovery. None of us have the necessary resources to do the same, so you have to give yourself enough time to recover between two matches.
Don’t forget to cool down after the match and only then start the recovery process.
Conclusion:
Playing any sport puts virtually the whole body at risk. Even basic movements like walking or getting up from a chair can lead to injury.
During high-force activities such as tennis, the possibility of injuring a muscle, tendon, or even a bone is very high. This should certainly not deter you from playing sports because the benefits far outweigh the risks.
It is important to prepare your body in the right way and to have the appropriate equipment. Thus, you will significantly reduce the frequency of injuries and therefore the periods when you can’t play tennis.
