Picking up a tennis addiction can cause people to want to play as much as possible. After all, the only way to get better at any sport is to practice, but just how much is too much?
Can you play tennis every day? The simple answer is that you can play every day if you want. There are a lot of people who take very few days off, and most professionals are on the court for at least some amount of time during the season. Certain factors can limit the number of times people can play and stay healthy.
Factors That Go Into How Much Tennis a Person Can Play
Before signing up for a tennis court seven days a week, consider the following before making a decision. This will keep the body healthy and ready to play at a high level whenever taken to court.
Singles vs. Doubles
Playing singles in tennis is much more taxing on the body than playing doubles. Theoretically, people are putting in double the amount of work considering they are by themselves, instead of relying on an opponent. While doubles is a little more strenuous than that, it’s still a game that can be played much more frequently.
Even at the professional level, some players will play a singles match earlier in the day, and then play a doubles match later that night. If they had to play back-to-back singles matches, that would be an entirely different story.
Weather
In most places around the world, it’s impossible to play tennis every day even if someone wants to. That’s because weather often gets in the way of a sport that is mostly outdoors.
Yes, there are indoor courts in most major cities, but they cost a lot of money and are not always easily accessible. For the vast majority of people, they rely on the weather to be cooperative enough to play every day outside.
Even in climates a bit more tropical, there’s always a chance of rain washing out a day of tennis. Getting at least five days of quality tennis in a week is about the norm for most just going off the weather.
Having access to an indoor facility definitely helps, but only those who take the sport seriously usually invest in a membership like this. Either that or they live in a pretty poor climate overall for outdoor tennis, making indoor tennis facilities necessary.
Experience
It takes time for the body to get used to everything that goes into playing tennis every single day. Those who have very little experience probably don’t want to start out playing every single day, or the body will start to break down.
The very first-time people go out and play for longer than usual, they tend to be sore the next day. That’s completely natural and shouldn’t set off any alarms.
However, it’s probably best to take the next day off, because the body needs a little bit of time to bounce back. Once players get a bit more experience under their belt, they can start to play on consecutive days.
Age Limitations
The older a person gets, the harder it is to play tennis every day without any health complications. Younger players who take the game seriously can train every single day and not feel like they are limited at all.
On the other side of things, there are plenty of older players who go out there daily and play as well. As long as a player stays within their skill level, they should be fine.
The trade-off here is that when players age, they usually are staying competitive with others in their age bracket. That means singles matches might not be strenuous on the body, and a lot more doubles. Doubles leagues become more and more prevalent as players age.
Health/Recovery
Healthy individuals who haven’t gone through any injuries related to tennis can usually play every day. However, even the slightest bit of a health issue can put a damper on how often a person hits the courts.
Tennis elbow is one injury that pops up a lot of times due to playing too much. It puts a lot of stress on the arm, and the only way to fully recover is to take some time off. It’s not what players want to hear, but it’s going to have the biggest impact on getting healthy again. Wearing an elbow brace when finally returning helps manage the pain as well.
More serious issues such as heart problems can limit not only the times a week a person can play, but how much they can play during each time on the court. The last thing anyone wants to do is put themselves at a major health risk by playing too much.
Court Surface
When given a choice between clay courts and hard courts, most people believe that clay courts are easier on the body. It’s a softer surface, so it’s easier to bounce back on a day-to-day basis.
The main drawback to clay courts is that points are usually a little bit longer. Players are forced to play longer points, which means more running around. With a faster surface, points can end with bigger winners.
There’s also the sliding aspect of tennis on clay courts that might not be comfortable for everyone. It takes time to get used to this, and if done incorrectly, could put players at a risk.
Burning Out In Tennis
Tennis players in the past have indeed burned out playing tennis too often. A lot of parents and coaches believe that tennis players need to play as much as possible when they are coming up so that they can get the experience needed to reach their full potential.
That often means playing every day, skipping out on normal kid stuff, and foregoing any other sports.
This works in some cases, but can cause burnout in others. It’s recommended to pay attention to how players react to too much tennis when they are coming up to the ranks.
Is It Fine Playing Tennis Every Day?
Ultimately, people who pay attention to how the body reacts and performs when playing the game of tennis will have the best understanding as to whether or not they can play consistently.
No blanket statement says players can’t play every single day if they feel like they are up to it. Just keep in mind that just like with any exercise, there’s a chance of putting too much stress on the body and not exactly handling it correctly.
Watch for any warning signs, and don’t be afraid to skip a day or two if the body just doesn’t feel right. It’s better to miss a day here or there, rather than be out for months for a serious injury.