You have seen it happen: a player dominates the first set with explosive winners, only to collapse into a loads of unforced errors by the middle of the second. They have “gym fitness,” but they do not have tennis fitness.
The hard truth is that running five miles at a steady pace will not help you win a three-set tiebreaker. While long-distance jogging builds a general aerobic base last the 3 sets , recover for the next day , tennis is fundamentally a sport of explosive bursts followed by brief recoveries. To win, you must train your body to recover instantly from a 10-second lung-busting rally so you can repeat that effort 20 seconds later.
Why Your Cardio is Failing You
Traditional steady-state cardio trains your body to move at a constant, moderate intensity. Tennis, however, is a High-Interval based sport.
Research indicates that the average tennis point lasts between 5 and 10 seconds, followed by a recovery period of 10 to 20 seconds (Fernandez-Fernandez et al., 2009). This creates a work-to-rest ratio of 1:2 or 1:3. If your training does not mimic this specific metabolic demand, you are preparing for a marathon when you should be preparing for a series of 100m dash.
Science: Tennis relies heavily on the ATP-CP system for immediate energy and the Anaerobic Glycolytic system for sustained high-intensity efforts. Steady-state jogging primarily targets the aerobic system, leaving your “explosive tank” empty when the match gets tight (Kovacs, 2007).
The “Match Burn” Routine
This 40-50 minute session is designed to mimic the exact physiological stresses of a competitive match. Note that this should be modified according to your players training cycle, primary focus on the specific cycle, tournament calendar and other key areas which your tennis coach and the S&C coach should be considering prior to to trying this.
1. The Dynamic Warm-Up (10 Minutes)
Tennis involves extreme lateral force and rotational torque. A dynamic warm-up increases muscle temperature and nerve conduction velocity (Behm & Chaouachi, 2011)
2. The “Point-Play” Phase (20 Minutes)
Complete 10 sets of the following. Focus on 100% effort during the “Work” phase. Below is only example , make sure you work with hear rate zone training .
| Phase | Duration | Activity |
| Work | 10 Seconds | The “X” or “W” Drill |
| Rest | 20 Seconds | Active Recovery: Walk back to your starting position, focusing on deep, control breath |
| Work | 15 Seconds | Lateral Shuffles,/ Cone Sprints |
| Rest | 30 Seconds | Total Rest: Mimic the time between points. Visualize your next serve. |
Repeat this cycle 5 times, take a 2-minute “Changeover” break, and repeat 5 more times.
3. The “Third Set” Finisher (5 Minutes)
To simulate the fatigue of a final set, perform Suicide Sprints (baseline to service line, back; baseline to net, back).
- Goal: 3 sets with 45 seconds of rest between them.
4. Cool Down & Mobility (5-10 Minutes)
Focus on the hip flexors, calves, and posterior deltoids.
Why This Works
By adhering to a 1:2 or 1:3 work-to-rest ratio, you are conditioning your heart and muscles to clear lactate and other metabolic by products efficiently. According to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, HIIT training significantly improves VO2 max and anaerobic threshold in racket sport athletes more effectively than traditional endurance training (Fernandez-Fernandez et al., 2012).
You will find that in the “death zone” of a match—that 90-minute mark where legs usually turn to burn—you still have the fuel in your step to chase down one more ball and hit some winners .
If you like the details structures , drills, and travelling for tournaments check out the books
Tennis Fitness https://www.amazon.com/tennis-fitness/dp/1492867969
Tennis Wellness & Performance https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPL48X51
References
- Behm, D. G., & Chaouachi, A. (2011). A review of the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching on performance. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
- Fernandez-Fernandez, J., et al. (2009). Intensity of game play during periodized training in tennis players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
- Fernandez-Fernandez, J., et al. (2012). The effects of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training vs. continuous training in tennis players. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- Kovacs, M. S. (2007). Tennis physiology: Training competitive athletes. Sports Medicine.