Dr Courtney Kipps, Consultant Sports Physician at the Institute of Sport Exercise and Health, was a doctor at the Aegon Championships at Queens Club in West London last week.
Watching the outstanding men's final at the Aegon Championships at Queens between Grigor Dimitrov and Feliciano Lopez, I hope people are inspired to take up tennis. As a sport it is a very exciting game but watching these two world-class players in action, it is clear that as a form of physical exercise it is a tremendous work out. In the longest match ever played, between John Isner and Nicholas Mahut at the 2010 Wimbledon championships, which lasted 11 hours 5 minutes, it is estimated that the two players covered around 6 miles (9.6km) each. The average distance covered in a match is 3 miles (4.8km), which is slightly less than the distance a football player covers in an average football game, however tennis is a relatively high intensity game with lots of short sharp sprints, so the stats can be misleading. If played often and regularly enough, the benefits of the high intensity, interval training in a game of tennis can have a multitude of positive effects on the body including reduced body fat, improved aerobic fitness, lower blood pressure and improved blood lipid profile.
Although these positive health benefits far outweigh the risk of injury, one has to be mindful of these risks, as with any new sport. Fortunately match day injuries are relatively rare in tennis, one of the more common acute injuries being a twisted ankle. Most injuries in tennis are overuse injuries, related to repetitive use, for example rotator cuff (shoulder) injuries from serving. Fatigue and technique are inextricably linked and each contribute significantly to the risk of injury. 'Tennis elbow' is a frequent overuse injury where technique is so important (think of playing a backhand shot with the wrist and elbow rather than the whole arm). Endurance is important in tennis, as is strength training, not just to play a better game but also to reduce the risk of injury. Balance and flexibility training will also pay dividends.
As with any new sport, one has to be mindful of the risk of injury but with sensible training the positive health benefits of a regular game of tennis will far outweigh these risks.