Behind the on-court performances of the world’s top tennis players are meticulously planned strength and conditioning programmes. Players need to be strong, coordinated, mobile and resilient, with the cardiovascular fitness to cope with long matches – so their training needs to support all of that.
Former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who will be hoping to make her mark during the summer tennis season, knows this all too well. And you might be surprised by some of the off-court activities she uses to build strength, prevent injury and future-proof her body.
Here’s everything we know about Emma Raducanu’s strength and conditioning routine.
1. She does hot yoga
‘I love doing hot yoga. It’s my favourite type of exercise and it makes me pretty strong in the heat as well,’ Emma told The Independent last year when discussing the often warm conditions at Wimbledon.
‘Afterwards you feel great because you sweat so much. It’s just a great feeling after all the endorphins.’
2. She goes to the gym once or twice a day
Emma also told The Independent that, alongside two on-court practice sessions, she typically does one or two gym sessions a day, ‘with a longer warm-up’.
3. She focuses on her core, legs and posterior chain
So, what does she do in all those gym sessions?
While her wider strength and conditioning programme covers the whole body, Emma told The Independent that many of the exercises she does target her core and posterior chain.
Emma has previously struggled with a back injury, so this targeted strength work – particularly around the core – is important for maintaining strength and stability without aggravating the issue.
She also explained that many of her lower-body exercises help prepare her for grass courts, where ‘you need to stay low for longer’.
4. Her gym work is incredibly varied
Because tennis demands strength, endurance, coordination and long-term durability, players often incorporate a wide range of exercises and drills into their training.
Instagram / @emmaraducanu
Some of Emma’s strength-training exercises might surprise you
Clips of Emma’s strength and conditioning sessions compiled by online fitness coach Pro Player Training Zone show her performing traditional strength exercises such as:
But also less conventional drills, including:
Tennis rallies while cycling indoorsSprints with rapid changes of directionDead hangs from rings with rotationBackwards runningWrist-rotation exercisesA vertical climbing machineResistance band Pallof presses while balancing on a wobble boardRebounding5. She does reformer Pilates
Emma also told The Independent that, alongside hot yoga, reformer Pilates ‘is so good for [her] deep core work, which is really helpful for the back’.
6. She spends a lot of time recovering
Another integral part of her training routine? Recovery.
And while you might assume recovery simply means resting, Emma’s approach involves much more than that.
The downtime often involves reading, looking at art and spending time with friends when she can. But the physical recovery side is more intensive, involving physiotherapy, compression garments and ice therapy.
‘It does take a while, but it’s worth it at the end of the day because your body feels refreshed after,’ added Emma, who will be hoping that refreshed feeling serves her well during the summer season.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.