Tennis fitness exercises

Every exercise in the 6-week program: how to do it, why it matters on court, the mistakes to avoid and how much to do at each level.

Intervals

• Interval training for tennis
  The most important session of the week: repeated fast runs with short recovery, the rhythm of real points.

Speed and reaction

• The split-step rally drill
  Split on the opponent's contact, see the side as you land, 2–3 quick steps and a shadow swing, recover to the centre, split again.
• Arrow reaction drill for tennis
  Split on the cue; as you land an arrow shows left or right; explode into the first step that way.
• The cone drill: change of direction for tennis
  Five markers in a fan 3–5 metres from a centre point.

Strength and power

• Vertical jumps for tennis
  Short, full-effort sets of jumps at the start of the strength session, while the legs are fresh: from 3 × 4 at level 1 to 6 × 6 at level 6, with 75 seconds of rest..
• Lateral bounds for tennis
  Push off sideways, land on the other leg and hold the landing.
• Rotational medicine-ball throw for tennis
  Legs, hips, trunk, release: a 2–3 kg medicine ball thrown into a solid wall from a side stance.
• The tennis strength session
  Once a week, about 21 minutes at level 1 and 34 at level 6: a warm-up, jumps while fresh, then single-leg strength.