Every summer The Australian Tennis Open inspires many of us to take to the sport. Unfortunately injuries can occur if inadequate preparation is undertaken.
In 2016, 127 people were admitted to Victorian hospitals while 382 people visited Victorian emergency departments for tennis-related injuries. The rate of tennis injuries has been calculated at five injuries per 1,000 hours of participation. The most common injuries are to the lower limbs – ankle, knee and thigh.
However, many common tennis injuries can be prevented by undertaking good preparation. To get the most from your tennis game and most importantly avoid injuries players should:
- Always warm up, stretch and cool down
- Maintain an adequate fitness level. Undertake specific conditioning and training exercises that simulate tennis (ie. acceleration, deceleration, twisting, turning and stretching).
- Seek instruction from a qualified coach to develop correct skills and techniques.
- Avoid over-repetition of any one type of shot. Practise a range of strokes including groundstrokes, serves, return of serves, overhead smashes and volleys.
- Use a racquet suitable for your style of play and physical capabilities.
- Check and maintain the playing surface to ensure it is in good condition and free of hazards. A tennis ground checklist can help.
- Seek professional advice on footwear.
- Be sunsmart to protect yourself from heat injury. Wear sun-protective clothing, a hat, sunglasses and SPF 30+ sunscreen.
If you’d like to know how tennis injuries compare to those of another popular racquet sport, squash, you can read more here.
And if you’d like a breakdown of common tennis injuries from Tennis SA, you can check out this link.
If you an unfortunate enough to sustain a tennis injury, or even if you simply want to ease some of your muscle tightness after playing, you might want to try using a massage gun. For a breakdown on latest must-have item for sports preparation and recovery, please see our comprehensive guide.
