How Far Tennis Players Run In a Match?

With long rallies throughout the match, tennis players end up running around quite a bit. It might not seem like much just for one single point, but throughout the match, players log quite a bit of distance in the end. Ever wonder just how much all that running around equates to?

How far do tennis players run in a match? Tennis players run on average 1.5-4 miles per match. It all depends on playing style, the opponent’s playing style, how long and competitive the match is, and many other factors. The overall mileage might not seem like much, but it includes a lot of shorter sprints spaced out throughout the match.

How Playing Style Affects Running In Tennis

People can play tennis in many different styles, and some will purposely try to make points long to use their stamina and running ability to their advantage. For example, shorter players tend to run more than taller players, as they feel they have an advantage.

David Ferrer and Nikolai Davydenko are two recent ATP standouts who were constantly near the top of the list for most distance covered per set. If they were not tracking everything down, they likely would not be on tour in the first place.

Baseline players are always going to have longer points, and there is more area to cover as well. Players who rush the net have to make that initial run, but they are pretty much done after that. They either finish the point off, or the opponent hits a ball past them for a winner.

A great way to visualize the playing style and its effects on running are to take data from Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal matches and compare it to Roger Federer. Both Djokovic and Nadal are baseliners for the most part, and part of their strategy is wearing down the opponent. They are fine getting in long rallies, and they will be patient in their approach.

Federer is more of a classic player who will serve and volley from time to time if he has the opportunity. He can finish points off a little more quickly, especially during his prime. It should come as no surprise that Federer runs quite a bit less than the other two when just looking at the style of play.

How Court Surface Affects Running In Tennis

Every summer when tennis pros head to Wimbledon, those looking to cut down on the mileage they run will be very happy. That is because grass is the fastest surface on tour right now, which means plenty of quick points overall.

If the points are quicker, there is less reason to run around. Some players use many serve and volley approaches on grass as well, which also cuts down on the total amount of running. Grass is the least used surface on the tennis tour, so players who love short points will not benefit as much as one might think.

The court that is usually the most challenging as far as mileage is concerned is clay courts. Not only are players logging many miles because of long points, but they have to slide around to switch directions. Players must be in great shape if they are surviving long rallies on clay.

Hard courts are pretty neutral overall, which is why so many people like the balance of styles. Some hard courts play faster than others, but there are successful players with different styles to count on. If a player really wants to grind out every single point, they can pull it off.

How Far Do Doubles Players Run In a Match?

It is pretty obvious there with two players on each side, the running around is not going to be nearly as intense as it is in singles. However, what some people realize as they play more and more doubles is just how much of an impact it makes on moving around and getting exercise.

The two players on each side theoretically cut the running in half, but it goes beyond that. In doubles, there are a lot of short points, as there is one player at the net and one player at the baseline in a lot of situations. There are not long rallies that take more than a few shots like in singles. There is less running around with shorter points, as it comes more to positioning and angling balls off.

With all that said, there are many steps that are accumulated when both players are moving for the same ball. Maybe both players are not hitting every single ball, but that does not mean that the other player is standing still the entire time.

This all equates to about 65% of 75% of the average steps for a singles match. For example, if a person gets around 10,000 steps in during a singles match, they should be looking at anywhere from 6500 steps to 7500 steps during that same stretch in doubles.

How Does Tennis Compare To Other Major Sports?

On average, tennis compares the most to basketball as far as distance running is concerned. Both tennis players and basketball players run basically the same amount per hour of action.

For the ultimate workout, soccer is the way to go, as it can be double or even triple the amount of mileage in the same amount of time. Football and baseball are the sports for those looking to not run nearly as much on average.

The Intensity of The Running In Tennis

Any long-distance runners reading up on the mileage in tennis are likely coming away unimpressed. With that said, so much goes into tennis beyond just running around. Players run around full speed for many shots, which means their run intensity is much more than an average jog or even long-distance run.

There is also changing direction and using the rest of the body to get a full workout in. Looking at tennis solely as a run around the court will not accurately portray just how much effort a person puts into the sport in general. Overall, tennis is very above average when it comes to getting a great workout in, and running around a decent amount certainly helps.

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