Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Meeting the Physical Demands of Tennis

Chapter 2. Muscles and Tennis Strokes

Chapter 3. Muscles and Tennis Movements

Chapter 4. High-Performance Fitness Testing

Chapter 5. Dynamic Warm-Up and Flexibility Training

Chapter 6. Speed, Agility, and Footwork Training

Chapter 7. Core Stability Training

Chapter 8. Strength Training

Chapter 9. Power Training

Chapter 10. Tennis-Specific Endurance Training

Chapter 11. Program Design and Periodization

Chapter 12. Solid Shoulder Stability

Chapter 13. Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation

Chapter 14. Nutrition and Hydration

Chapter 15. Recovery

Chapter 16. Age and Gender Considerations

About the Author

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the recognized leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the U.S. Open. 

Established in 1881, the USTA is a progressive and diverse not-for-profit organization whose volunteers, professional staff, and financial resources support the singular mission.

The USTA is the largest tennis organization in the world, with 17 geographical sections, more than 700,000 individual members and more than 7,800 organizational members, thousands of volunteers, and a professional staff dedicated to growing the game.

In addition to the professional side of the sport, the USTA offers sanctioned league-play opportunities to players 18 years of age and older. Camps and other instructional opportunities are also provided to younger players around the country.

Mark Kovacs, PhD, FACSM, CTPS, MTPS, CSCS,*D, USPTA, PTR, is a performance physiologist, researcher, professor, author, speaker, and coach with an extensive background in training and researching elite athletes. He runs a consulting firm focused on optimizing human performance by the practical application of cutting-edge science. He is a consultant to the ATP, WTA, USTA, and NCAA. Dr. Kovacs also is the director of the Life Sport Science Institute and associate professor of sport health science at Life University. Heovacs has worked with hundreds of elite athletes and more than two dozen top professional tennis players, including John Isner, Robby Ginepri, Ryan Harrison, and Sloane Stephens.

He formerly directed the sport science, strength and conditioning, and coaching education departments for the United States Tennis Association and was the director of the Gatorade Sport Science Institute as well as an executive at Pepsico. He is coauthor of the book Tennis Anatomy (Human Kinetics, 2011).

Dr. Kovacs currently is the executive director of the International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA), the worldwide association for tennis-specific performance and injury prevention. He is a certified tennis performance specialist and a master tennis performance specialist through the iTPA. He is also a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and both a USPTA and PTR certified tennis coach. Dr. Kovacs is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. In 2012, he was the youngest-ever recipient of the International Tennis Hall of Fame Educational Merit Award.

Kovacs was a collegiate All-American and NCAA doubles champion in tennis at Auburn University. After playing professionally, he performed tennis-specific research and earned a master’s degree in exercise science from Auburn University and a PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Alabama.

E. Paul Roetert, PhD, FACSM, is the chief executive officer of SHAPE America, the largest organization of professionals involved in school-based health, physical education, and physical activity. Founded in 1885, SHAPE America is committed to ensuring all children have the opportunity to lead healthy, physically active lives. He holds a PhD in biomechanics from the University of Connecticut and completed his bachelor