Importance of Fitness in Tennis

When watching the top professional tennis players at work, we marvel at their skills on the court.

Whether it is an accurate serve, delicate drop shot or powerful backhand winner, there are many technical aspects to a professional tennis players game which helps them get to the top of the sport.

However, if a player was physically incapable of getting into position to play their shots, how are they going to win matches? Therefore, fitness is very important in tennis.

Most tennis players start a match feeling fresh and can play at the top of their game for a short period of time but unless they have been working on their fitness, playing at their peak will only last for so long.

As players become tired, mistakes begin to creep in and points are lost.

Becoming tired during a tennis match can see a player fail to make the same shots they were making at the start of a match. Reaching a ball to make a return will become more difficult and the chances of hitting a winning shot lower when a player becomes tired.

A lack of fitness can also have an impact on the mental side of the game.

A lot of people become more agitated the more tired they are and the same applies in tennis. Firstly, any mistake which is made can lead to a reaction such as frustration and if this continues to build it is only going to end one way and that is in defeat.

Furthermore, an unfit player will start making wrong decisions during points. Tiredness effects decision making and many of the important decisions during tennis can come towards the end of a match, when the pressure is on.

A lack of fitness can lead to bad decisions, a lack of enjoyment and ultimately defeat.

The core values involved in playing tennis are all part of being fit and these include footwork, speed and strength.

Young tennis players should be working on these aspects to not only improve the quality of their tennis but also to protect them from injury as they develop.

The ATP, WTA, Challenger and ITF Tours are long and extremely tough. Not only are the players in action for many weeks of the year, competing at the highest level, they are also putting in many hours travelling.

For the casual tennis fan, we see Rafael Nadal playing in Australia one week, then in Rio and then in Spain. Little thought goes into how these players get to their matches and for those playing lower down the ladder, travelling can be a very long process, with many hours in the seat of a plane.

Having good fitness and a healthy diet helps to keep players at the top of their game and the latter of these, diet, cannot be underestimated.

A tennis player needs fuel to perform and this means eating the right things. A good diet will help a player remain in good condition and play at their best for longer.

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