From Court to Clinic: The Role of Physiotherapy in Enhancing Tennis Performance 

Why Range of Motion Matters in Tennis

Tennis is a game where every inch counts—not just in landing shots on the line but also in how your body moves. If your body lacks range of motion, it isn’t moving the way it has been designed, it results in a loss of time to get to a ball, slower recovery time to get ready for the next one, poor consistency when even slightly off balance, and loss of power in your shots.  Athletes need to be in optimal alignment to get the most out of their bodies and remain resilient to injuries in this demanding sport.  The body needs to be a well-oiled and tuned machine to extract most of it.  

At Honsberger Physio+, we view the body as a well-oiled machine. If it's not functioning at peak efficiency, athletes risk leaving untapped potential on the court.

How Physiotherapy Can Improve Performance 

Athletes spend time and financial resources perfecting their footwork and strokes with tennis professionals.  Investments in their fitness, strength, agility and flexibility off court are also made.  Physiotherapy is traditionally viewed as a form of crisis intervention-to address injuries as pain is starting to interfere with training and competition.  If the body is moving efficiently and properly, the body is able to produce maximum power, speed and flexibility while simultaneously reducing injury risk.   

As Trevor Noah said on the Diary of a CEO podcast:

“You should go (to Physical Therapy) long before you ever consider surgery.  You’d be shocked to know that your neck hasn’t been moving the way it is supposed to, you’d be shock to realize that your back has been stuck for a while, you haven’t been breathing, you find your knees.......it’s crazy to realize how much over time you've settled into a restriction that’s stopping you from being yourself fully physically.” 

Are you struggling with:

• Improving your precision?
• Inconsistency in your game?
• Chronic muscle tension or flexibility issues despite gym training?
• Difficulty improving power and precision on the court?

Physiotherapy can address these challenges, helping you move faster, hit more powerful shots, and elevate your overall game.

The Biomechanics of Champions

Elite athletes like Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams exemplify the ideal combination of strength and flexibility. Stiff and weak, stiff and strong, weak and flexible are all undesirable combinations around any part of the body.  It is telltale sign of inefficient movement due to poor biomechanics, and the body becomes a ticking time bomb for injuries. The physical body is in suboptimal condition and performance suffers-an impending injury is on the horizon. 

Physiotherapy addresses these issues by identifying and correcting the root causes of suboptimal movement patterns. By restoring strength, flexibility, and proper alignment, athletes can unlock peak performance while safeguarding against injuries.

How to Incorporate Physiotherapy to Enhance Your Tennis 

Physiotherapists are experts in body movement.  They can identify the root causes of:

• Poor movement patterns
• Joint stiffness
• Chronic muscle tension
• Muscle weakness

These are precursors to repetitive strain injuries and compensatory, inefficient movement patterns.  A physiotherapy assessment at Honsberger Physio+ entails a whole-body biomechanical scan of your posture, movement and mobility.  This provides the clinician with a wholistic picture of how your body moves and reveals where you struggle on court.   

With the assessment findings, the physiotherapist will propose and design a treatment plan with the athlete’s tennis performance goals.  An independent home exercise program will be a significant part of the intervention to maintain treatment gains and make improvements.  The physiotherapist can also work closely with your strength and conditioning coach to ensure that your off-court training will complement the physiotherapy and performance goals. 

Ready to Take Your Game to the Next Level?

Whether you're looking to prevent injuries, recover faster, or enhance your performance, Honsberger Physio+ is here to help. Our team works closely with athletes to ensure their bodies are as strong, agile, and efficient as their game demands.

Contact Cecilia today to schedule your biomechanical assessment and discover how physiotherapy can transform your tennis performance.

Written By: Cecilia Chan, Registered Physiotherapist