Hip Injury Prevention | Episode 1 | Flexibility Test

It all starts with a feeling. The feeling of being “sore” which is familiar for every tennis player at some point in their career, from the elite, to the everyday player. Grinding it out for a few rough sets or matches is enough to cause muscles to become stiff and achy. Due to the quick turnover of tennis tournaments, many players will prioritise results over recovery. They will “power through” until they cannot.  

Although some players can ignore the feeling for a certain amount of time, others will begin to experience hip and groin injuries if they do not address the soreness. Often, tennis players will not address the soreness until it is too late, resulting in injuries. So, if we do not address the simple feeling of soreness, it can lead to long-term injuries that will require tennis players to pull out from matches, require surgery, or even stop playing altogether. 

"My inner thigh pain is stopping me from chasing down the ball…." 

"Why does my hip hurt when I'm running?"...  

 
If you hear this from your tennis player, it is time to address the concern.  

If there is one thing to take away from this article, it is this: If the groin or hip pain is affecting on-court execution, take immediate action. Focus on recovery. Seek medical assistance. Start injury prevention or rehabilitation programmes. These are all effective strategies that can be used to get a player back on-court performing at their best.  

Do not leave it until it's too late, or else more serious groin and hip injuries can begin to occur, including: 
 

• Hip flexor injury (e.g. strains, tendinopathy, etc.) 
• Groin strains (also known as adductor strains) 
• Labrum tears 
• Hip joint pain conditions (e.g. hip impingement, hip osteoarthritis, etc.) 
• Related knee and lower back pain 

Hip Injury Prevention | Episode 2 | Prevention Exercises

Fortunately, most of these injuries can be addressed with proper recovery. But it's more complicated than a couple of minutes of groin and hip stretches before picking up the tennis racquet again. Specific groin and hip exercises need to target the root cause of injuries. As Louis Fresneau notes, examples of physical limitations he'll see in players include reduced hip mobility (especially hip rotation), lack of strength, and poor balance.

Gaining a competitive edge is more than just what is done on the court. The training performed off-the-court is equally as important, particularly for preventing common tennis injuries. Hip and groin pain occur often in tennis players due to extreme lateral and directional movement changes.  Expert tennis physiotherapist Louis Fresneau joined ASICS Tennis Academy to share his advice and exercise tips to help tennis players stay healthy by avoiding hip and groin injuries.