Stretching Guide for Tennis Players

Sore and stiff after a long session of tennis?

You’re not alone.

But how often do you stretch afterward? Stretching is easy to push off (and keep pushing off) until we grunt to tie our shoes or our backs feel stiff as a board.

In this blog, you’ll learn…

• 🎾 How stretching benefits your tennis and overall health
• ⌚The best time to stretch
• 🧘🏼‍♀️ A stretching routine before and after you play

Why Stretching Is Important for Tennis Players

Tennis uses the entire body.

We’re running, we’re swinging, we’re changing direction on a moment’s notice. Some of us even slide to get to the ball—that takes incredible flexibility and mobility.

Some definitions:

• Flexibility is our muscle’s ability to lengthen without engagement, like when we touch our toes.
• Mobility is our joints’ ability to move through their full range of motion, such as arm circles or leg swings.

Flexibility and mobility are interconnected. For us to be mobile, we need to be flexible. That’s a big reason why yoga is so popular—it includes dynamic, moving stretches and poses that work on flexibility, strength, and stability.

Another reason to start stretching is because it can help prevent injuries.

Tennis elbow and shoulder issues are common injuries that plague tennis players—much of which is caused by overuse and wonky technique.

Here are 5 more benefits of stretching:

• Maximized performance during matches
• Better posture and reduced joint and back pain
• Improved muscular balance
• More sustained energy throughout the day
• Adds more years to your tennis career (just look at Novak Djokovic)

The Best Time for Tennis Players to Stretch

The best time to stretch is when your muscles are warmed up. This is when your muscles are most relaxed, allowing you to stretch further than if you were to hop out of bed and begin stretching.

Try stretching after:

• A 5-minute warmup before playing tennis
• Finishing a strength or cardio workout
• Playing tennis

Stretching Routines for Before and After Playing Tennis

Before playing tennis:

Take 2 to 3 laps around the perimeter of the court to get your heart rate up and muscles loose. Then, you can move into these dynamic stretches.

Stand on a doubles sideline. You’ll be going from one sideline to the other for each exercise:

• Tip-toe walks
• Heel walks
• Arm circles
• Arm hugs
• Lunges with core rotation
• Butt kicks
• High knees
• Squat walks

And you can end the dynamic stretches with movements that mimic tennis, like side shuffles, backpedals, or sprinting.

After playing tennis:

Once you’ve hit your opponent off the court, it’s time to reward yourself with static stretching. Hold each movement below for 30-60 seconds:

• Supine twists
• Calf/Achilles tendon stretch
• Forearm stretch
• Cross-body arm stretch
• Triceps stretch
• Quad stretch
• Hamstring stretch
• Hip flexors stretch

Here at the Tennis Workout Lab, we believe in playing tennis longer by incorporating strength, stamina, and, of course, flexibility. Feel free to try these stretches the next time you’re on the court!

Related Reading:

• 12 Top Yoga Poses For Tennis Players
• Our Whole-Body Training Program for Tennis Players
• Our Jacked Tennis Player Training Program