Why do Top Professional Tennis Payers Suffer so many Injuries?

Federer, Nadal, Clijsters and Williams – all are heading for the Australian Open, nursing various injuries. Federer has a bad back, Nadal ‘s shoulder is giving him trouble, her hip seems to be Clijsters’ area of agony and Williams is limping because of a bad ankle.

Federer has chosen not to rely on painkillers but is opting for MASSAGE instead

So what is the cause of these injuries?

Hard training, over and above what the body can sustain is what I hypothesis is going on here; all these ace players have well trained and equipped teams looking after their every need – nutrition, physiotherapy, massage, equipment and of course, technique. Nothing is left to chance, everything is managed to the last detail. These are some of the most finely tuned athletes in the world. It can therefore only be that the regimes they are imposing on their bodies, are taking their toll.

How can these injuries be prevented? I guess plenty of rest between events (but the professional calendar dictates this); lots of good quality, whole body, deeply releasing massage; making sure the technique is spot; ensuring the equipment is regularly replaced and also physical preparation targeting injury-prone movement patterns may be beneficial. But in the end, if the strains on the body are too much for it to handle, then it will break…

In conclusion, I guess the increased stresses, speed and power of the modern game, are all leading to more injuries and the question is – what price will these elite athletes pay for their game in the long run?

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