Tennis Injury

When people think about racket sports tennis, badminton and squash usually come to mind but there are many more than these three played around the world from recreational to international level. Table tennis for one and Padel tennis, the world's fastest-growing racket sport. What they all have in common is the use of a racket to hit a projectile (a ball or a shuttle) with the arm at varying heights.

What causes racket sports injuries?

Most injuries that occur are the result of repetitive action causing overuse injuries, with the racket holding arm mostly affected. 

Acute injuries can occur through the process of getting around a court (rolled ankle) or attempting an explosive action (a muscle strain or prolapsed disc). The frequency of injuries depends on the sport and the level you are playing at:

•  elite tennis players get more injuries to the spine in comparison to the recreational player 
• a badminton player is more likely to develop wrist pain.

Common racket sports injuries

Shoulder

• Rotator cuff conditions
• Biceps tendinitis
• SLAP lesions
• Osteoarthritis

Elbow

• Tennis elbow
• Golfer's elbow
• Posterior/back of elbow impingement
• Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) sprain

Wrist/hand

• de Quervain's tenosynovitis
• Triangular fibrocartilage (TFCC) tear
• Wrist ganglions
• Wrist tendonitis

Lower extremity

• Patella tendinitis
• Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS)
• "Tennis leg" - Partial or complete rupture of the calf muscle
• Achilles tendon rupture
• Ankle sprain
• Tendonitis around the ankle
• Plantar fasciitis

Trunk

• Low back pain - various causes including facet pain, herniated disc, stress fracture
• Rib stress fracture
• Abdominal muscle strains