🏋️ Tennis Fitness

Why fitness decides junior tennis

Most junior matches aren't lost on strokes — they're lost on movement. The kid who arrives early and balanced hits a better ball than the kid who's always stretched and late.

• Tournaments are marathons. Two or three matches a day, two or three days in a row. Fitness is what survives day three.
• Fit kids get hurt less. Strong legs, stable ankles, and a cared-for shoulder keep kids on court instead of on the couch.
• Confidence follows the body. Kids who feel fast and strong play braver tennis.

Fitness by ball color (age stage)

Match the training to the stage — not to what the 16-year-olds are doing.

The 5–10 minute dynamic warm-up

Do this before every session and match. Warm muscles move faster and tear less. For under-10s, frame each one as a game.

1. 1Easy jog → high knees1 minute easy jog, then 30 seconds of high knees.
2. 2Butt kicks30 seconds, heels to glutes.
3. 3Leg swings10 each leg, forward/back, then side to side. Hold the fence for balance.
4. 4Walking lunges with a twist6 per side — opens hips and spine together.
5. 5Arm circles20 seconds each direction, big to small.
6. 6Inchworms5 reps — walk hands out to a plank, walk feet in.
7. 7Side shuffles30 seconds each direction, stay low.
8. 8Split-step practice20 reps. The single most tennis-specific move there is.

Cool-down + stretching (5 minutes after)

Walk it down for a minute first — never stretch a sprinting heart. Then hold each stretch 20–30 seconds, breathe, never bounce.

1. 1Quad stretchStanding, pull heel to glute, 30 seconds each leg.
2. 2Hamstring stretchHeel on a low bench, hinge forward gently.
3. 3Calf stretchHands on fence, back leg straight, heel down.
4. 4Cross-body shoulder stretch30 seconds each arm — the serving shoulder needs this.
5. 5Overhead triceps stretchElbow to the sky, gentle pull.
6. 6Figure-4 hip stretchLying down, ankle over opposite knee, 30 seconds each side.

Injury-prevention basics

The best ability is availability. A few minutes of prevention beats months of rehab.

👍 Shoulder prehab

A junior serve is thousands of overhead reps a year. Twice a week: light band external rotations (2×15 each arm) and wall angels (2×10). If there's no band, prone Y-T-W lifts off the floor work.

🦶 Ankle stability

Most junior ankle sprains are preventable wobble. Single-leg balance, 30 seconds each side — eyes closed when it gets easy. Two minutes, twice a week.

🪵 Growth-plate caution

Before puberty: no heavy weights, no max-effort loading, no "one more rep" culture. Bodyweight and play only. Kids' growth plates are softer than adult bone — respect them.

Rest & sleep: where fitness actually happens

Muscles don't grow during workouts — they grow during recovery. Training is the question; rest is the answer.

• 1–2 full rest days per week. Non-negotiable, even (especially) for the driven kid.
• 8–10 hours of sleep for juniors. Tired kids get hurt more and enjoy practice less.
• Overtraining warning signs: dreading practice, slipping grades, always sore, catching every cold. The fix is a lighter week, not a lecture.