Most players jog a lap, hit a few forehands, and call it a warm-up. Then they wonder why they feel slow in the first set and their shoulder is stiff by the third.
A warm-up isn't a ritual. It's preparation. And if you understand what tennis actually demands of your body, the warm-up almost designs itself.
What tennis demands
Tennis is explosive, multidirectional, and rotational. Every point starts with a split step — a reactive jump. Every shot uses rotation through the hips and thoracic spine. Every rally involves repeated acceleration, deceleration, and change of direction on one leg.
Your warm-up needs to prepare all of that. A gentle jog prepares almost none of it.
The four things a warm-up must do
- Raise your core temperature — muscles work better warm. Cold muscles are slow and stiff.
- Open up the joints you'll actually use — hips, thoracic spine, ankles, shoulders.
- Wake up the muscles that tend to be quiet — glutes, rotator cuff, hip stabilisers.
- Prime your nervous system — your brain needs to be ready to fire fast before you ask it to.
How to hit each one
What to skip
Static stretching before you play. Holding a stretch for 30–60 seconds before a match reduces power output. It relaxes the muscle — which is the opposite of what you want. Save static stretching for after the session.
Also skip the 'I'll warm up on court' approach. Feeding balls while half-awake is not preparation. You get one chance to set the tone for the session — use the 12 minutes before you walk on properly.