The Importance of Endurance: translating stamina onto the tennis court

It’s easy to get wrapped up in perfecting your stroke technique, or spending hours trying to nail down your service motion. But mechanics alone don’t win matches. Oftentimes, a protracted battle can simply come down to who has more gas in the tank. It may not be the most thrilling part of practice, but prioritizing fitness and incorporating exercises that emphasize endurance can lead to better results.

If Rafael Nadal isn’t a testament to the importance of fitness in tennis, then what is? But you don’t have to play like Rafa to win like him. Integrate these three exercises into your training regimen, and you’ll be saying Vamos! more than No más.

1. Just Keep Swimming

Your feet, legs and knees can take a beating while playing, especially on a high-impact hard court. One way to offset this in training in a pool. Not only does swimming force continuous movement of your legs, it does so without you incurring a toll on your joints. Aim for 20-30 minutes of continuous swim with the stroke of your choice. The butterfly, front stroke, back stroke and even the inverted side stroke are all great to mix in. After, head to the shallow side of the pool to finish strong, with two sets of 15 high knees and lunges.

2. The 100-Ball Rally

Head back to the court for this drill, which zeroes in on your endurance and tests your consistency. It’s easy to pull the trigger too early and become impatient during matches, which ultimately leads to unforced errors. The 100-ball rally rewards stability. This drill doesn’t mean just hitting 100 shots, but rather striking 100 consecutive shots in the singles court. If a player misses, the total resets back to zero, and you have to start over. This promises to keep you focused in practice, and will make you a nightmare to stand across the net from during match play.

3. Court Suicides

While suicides—a staggered series of runs out and in—can be done just about anywhere, it’s convenient to do them on the court, with the lines serving as markers. Beginning on the doubles sideline, sprint to the singles sideline and then back. Then sprint to the center service line and back; continue this pattern until all lines are touched. In between suicides, cool down and take at least a one-minute break, or wait until your breathing returns to normal before diving into the next set. Suicides lock in on quick first steps, endurance, speed and agility— all at once. Throw a set of five of these at the end of your practice and be prepared to be sore the next day. But don’t let that prevent you from keeping this exercise in your routine. The soreness will subside as your body adapts to this high-power sprinting drill, and your game will level up.