Health and safety in tennis is paramount for both players and the court provider. If a player suffers an injury due to a poorly maintained court, it can negatively impact their health and income.
They can also take legal action against the person responsible for the tennis court’s maintenance. If the player believes their injuries result from negligence – such as a defect in the court’s playing surface that the owner should have fixed – they can potentially sue for compensation.
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Serious tennis injuries can even end a player’s career, so it’s vital that tennis court owners keep their playing surfaces in tip-top condition by having them properly cleaned and maintained regularly.
What are the most common tennis injuries?
When you think of tennis injuries, you may consider only the dramatic ones that stop a player in their tracks immediately. These acute injuries are serious, of course, whether it’s a sprained ankle, a hamstring strain, or a torn muscle.
However, many of them can be avoided, to a degree, by taking the time to warm up properly before playing and making sure there are no slipping or tripping hazards on the court before the first ball is hit.
As well as sudden injuries, there are also a number of chronic injuries that can build up gradually over time. Although less common, they are the hidden dangers of tennis that can halt a player’s career.
The most common tennis injuries that can worsen over time include tendonitis in the knees, tennis elbow and stress fractures in the back.
How to avoid tennis elbow
Tennis elbow is the most well-known and notorious injury suffered by players. Its official name is lateral epicondylitis, an uncomfortable condition that can develop over time as the tendons around the elbow become inflamed.
This causes a lot of pain on the outside of the arm every time the player hits the ball. While it is common among tennis players, as the name suggests, the condition can also be caused by other non-tennis related activities, such as gardening, typing and painting.
Doing the same repetitive movements starts the reaction. As the tendon inflammation around the dominant elbow develops, continuing to play tennis can make it worse through repetitive strain injury.
Apart from the pain, other symptoms can include tenderness and a burning sensation when swinging the racket or hitting the ball. The outer elbow and surrounding area can start to throb as it worsens. If you continue playing, pain can spread down the forearm, weakening your grip strength.
How to prevent tennis elbow
Preventing tennis elbow can be difficult, as it is caused by putting a strain on the muscles in the forearm. The very motion of swinging a tennis racket continually can be enough to set it off.
One potential solution is to change your playing style to avoid using your elbow and wrist more than the rest of your arm. Spreading the strain to larger muscles, such as your shoulder, can help remove the strain on the elbow.
The NHS advises tennis players to get coaching advice if they fear they’re at risk of developing tennis elbow. In addition, a physiotherapist can advise on exercises that will help increase the strength of your forearm muscles.
Always warm up properly, gently stretching your arm muscles before playing tennis. Use a lightweight racket to avoid putting unnecessary strain on your arm.
How to treat tennis elbow
Unfortunately, it can take a long time to cure tennis elbow. The best way to treat it is to stop playing tennis as soon as you realise you have the condition. It can get better without any specific treatment just by resting the stricken elbow.
However, this can take between six months and two years, although 90% of people have made a full recovery within one year. Resting the injured arm until it is completely better is the most important part of the cure.
Simple treatments can also help to reduce the pain, such as holding a cold compress against your elbow a few times a day. A bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel will do the job,
You can also wear a tennis elbow splint when using your arm to stop any further tendon damage. A physiotherapist or your GP will be able to advise on the most suitable type of splint or brace.
What is tennis knee?
Tennis knee is the common name for tendonitis in the knees, or patellar tendonitis. This condition is something a lot of tennis players will suffer from at some point.
The kneecap and the shin bone are connected by the patellar tendon. It is put under a lot of stress when playing tennis, as the nature of the game involves rapid turning, twisting, stopping and starting.
When an excessively high load is placed on the tendon over a prolonged period of time, it can suffer from micro tears and become sore and inflamed. This can cause discomfort even when walking, let alone running and jumping during a tennis match.
Experts advise warming up and stretching thoroughly before playing tennis to decrease the risks of suffering from patellar tendonitis. Stretch and flex your knees in particular while warming up to increase the production of synovial fluid, our knees’ natural lubricant.
Back stress fractures
Back stress fractures occur more often than you may imagine among tennis players. This is because the sport requires players to use almost every muscle in their body, including the core muscles of the back and abdomen.
A back stress fracture can occur as a result of serving, as the back moves from side to side rapidly in doing so. This places a lot of stress on the lower back in particular, leading to a stress fracture.
This injury can occur gradually over a long period of time. Players might not even feel a lot of pain at the start, so they carry on playing, making it worse.
It’s important to act fast if you have back pain to catch this type of injury early. Otherwise, you could end up suffering with chronic and debilitating back pain in the future, leading to the end of your tennis playing days.
Wimbledon tennis players’ injuries
Several players suffered injuries at this year’s Wimbledon Championships at the All England Club. Alize Cornet, the 33-year-old French player and former world number 11, suffered a painful knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the women’s doubles event.
She left the court in tears after an existing injury to her heavily strapped right knee worsened during her singles match against defending women’s champion Elena Rybakina. After battling on but losing the match, Cornet had to pull out of the doubles. She later appeared on her social media account wearing a brace on her injured knee.
Former world number one singles player Venus Williams, a seven-times Grand Slam winner, was also forced to pull out of the tournament as a result of a knee injury. The 43-year-old American’s comeback ended on Centre Court after she hurt her knee during her first round match against Elina Svitolina.
She had battled for months to get back to peak fitness following a hamstring problem. However, she appeared to slip, falling to the ground and screaming in agony. Williams continued playing, but went out in straight sets.
Britain’s Andy Murray, a former world number one in men’s singles and two-times Wimbledon champion, also screamed out in pain on court after apparently suffering a groin injury. The 36-year-old’s career has been beset by injuries, but he seemed to be back to full fitness for Wimbledon.
However, during his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas, the crowd favourite suffered an injury late in the third set. Murray slipped behind the baseline, letting out a terrifying scream as he fell in a heap on the grass.
Despite carrying on bravely, he lost the match – ruining his hopes of a comeback after his second Wimbledon win in 2016.
Enjoy tennis longevity
Tennis is defined as a “power endurance” sport, meaning it is both physically and mentally demanding. It requires the body to make repetitive, fast, multi directional movements.
In doing so, the body can be subject to plenty of physical stress and muscle tension. To enjoy longevity as a tennis player, it’s important to learn how to prevent injuries as much as possible.
Tennis injuries can end careers, but if you look after your body and take the appropriate amount of rest and recovery time after an injury, it can be possible to carry on playing much later in life.
