Injury is a physical damage to body; however it can also affect a player mentally during the recovery period as well. The most common tennis injuries are: sprained ankle, tennis elbow, knee injury and lower back pain. Unfortunately for me I have suffered several injuries as a player and coach which includes all above injuries except tennis elbow, but instead I have dislocated my right shoulder twice while doing topspin serves and have been getting treatment for more than two years, therefore I know exactly what players go through with injuries and I have a few tips for you to minimize the risk of tennis injuries.

1. Stretch your body before and after playing tennis: Did you know that most injuries in tennis happen because players do not stretch their body properly or they just skip warming up. Before Training or match, apart from jogging a couple of laps around the court, make sure to stretch your body at least for 5 minutes before actually doing racket warm up. Also, do not forget to do 5-8 minutes stretching after you finish your match/training (cool down).  

Please note, that you have to stretch all your lower body muscles as well as some parts of your upper body muscles because lots of small muscles in tennis are used to do a groundstroke or to do a serve and they all have to be warmed up properly.

2. Massage: Many international athletes and their team are aware how important looking after your body is and that is why they usually have a Massage Therapist in their Team. Massage reduces: pain, depression, anxiety and tension within muscles. It also improves circulation and joint mobility and it increases body awareness.

3. Swimming: One of the most popular recovery processes among athletes is Swimming. Not only, it builds endurance, muscle strength and cardio-vascular fitness. Swimming, increases your heart rate and the supply of Oxygen, it also moves blood through your muscles to help them recover.

4. Nutrition: A healthy diet can help a tennis player to maintain his energy levels at a constant through out the match which results in better performance and to recover more efficiently. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for tennis Players, for example: pasta, potatoes, and bread. A tennis player needs 7-10 gr./kg. body weight per day. During the 2 days prior the match, a player should gradually increase the amount of Carbohydrates he eats. Protein is another important source of energy, such as: fish and meat. A tennis player needs 1.2 - 1.4 gr./kg. body weight per day. It is recommended to avoide: crisps, fried foods, chocolate and rich sauces. Please note, that players should have their meal within 2 hours of the the training or match. But it is a good idea to have snacks half an hour before the match. High energy snacks are: bananans, apples, dates..

5. Wear appropriate clothes and shoes for tennis: It is important to wear comfortable and supportive tennis clothing which give the player freedom of movement. Many people underestimate the importance of wearing tennis shoe, and instead they use their regular running shoe. Running shoes are specially designed for the forward motion that comes of running or walking. But a tennis player has to turn quickly, moves backwards, slides or suddenly stops and that is why special tennis shoes are built for. Proper tennis shoes also minimize chances of spraining your ankle. .

6. Avoid doing Kick Serve up to age of 12: to minimise the risk of lower back and shoulder injuries. Even, if you are a senior Player, who has lower back pain remember not to do Kick serve, as it can hurt your back even more. Instead use slice or flat serves.

7. Rest: Give yourself at least 1 or 2 days rest after a long match to recover. Many studies have found that athletes who sleep average of 9-10 hours a day perform better. Sleep can reduce the levels of stress and help a tennis player to be more alert when he is learning new techniques ...