Racquet Sports Injuries

Sports injuries are common in racquet games because players combine repeated overhead strokes, fast changes of direction, lunging, jumping, and gripping under fatigue. Whether you play tennis, squash, badminton, or racquetball, racquet sports injuries can affect the elbow, shoulder, knee, and ankle. Early assessment can help you identify the main pain source, improve technique, and reduce the risk of the problem dragging on.

Research on racquet sports shows that both overuse and traumatic injuries occur, with lower-limb injuries featuring heavily across several racquet disciplines. Repeated serving, smashing, lunging, sprinting, and sudden braking can all overload the body when volume, technique, recovery, or equipment are not well matched to the athlete.

What injuries are common in racquet sports?

Racquet sports injuries usually affect the elbow, shoulder, knee, ankle, and lower limb. Overuse problems such as tennis elbow and patellar tendinopathy sit alongside acute injuries such as a sprained ankle or a meniscus tear. The exact pattern depends on the sport, playing level, stroke load, court surface, and recovery habits.

Common signs of racquet sports injuries

Elbow pain with gripping, lifting, or backhand strokes
Shoulder pain during serves, smashes, or overhead shots
Knee pain with lunging, jumping, or pushing off
Ankle pain or swelling after twisting or awkward landing
Pain that builds after play and lingers into the next day

Choose your clinic

Book Online View Phone Numbers

Experienced Physiotherapists · Remedial Massage · Accredited Exercise Physiology · All private health funds · HICAPS on-the-spot

Physical demands of racquet sports

Racquet sports place repeated load through the shoulder girdle, forearm, trunk, hips, knees, and ankles. Players need speed, balance, rotational power, grip endurance, and the ability to decelerate quickly. Badminton and squash usually demand more repeated lunging and rapid court coverage, while tennis adds heavy serving and groundstroke loads that can irritate the shoulder and elbow over time.

Most common racquet sports injuries

The most common racquet sports injuries usually involve a mix of overuse tendon pain and sudden court-based trauma. These are the problems we see most often:

Tennis elbow: Pain on the outside of the elbow often builds with gripping, lifting, serving, or repeated backhand strokes.
Shoulder pain: Repetitive overhead strokes can contribute to shoulder impingement, rotator cuff irritation, or reduced shoulder control.
Ankle sprains: Quick lateral movement, landing errors, and unstable foot placement can overload the ankle ligaments.
Knee pain: Repeated lunging and braking can irritate the knee, including patellar tendinopathy, meniscus injuries, and other sports-related knee conditions.
Muscle and tendon overload: Calf, hamstring, and adductor problems can develop when players increase load too quickly or return before they are ready.
Head and eye trauma: Although less common, fast racquet and ball or shuttle impacts can cause facial injury or concussion, especially in doubles and confined courts.

Why do racquet sports cause shoulder and elbow injuries?

Shoulder and elbow pain in racquet sports usually comes from repeated serving, smashing, gripping, and stroke repetition. When training volume rises, technique breaks down, or shoulder and forearm strength lag behind demand, tissues can become irritated. Poor timing through the trunk and hips can also force the shoulder and elbow to do too much of the work.

Why do racquet sports cause knee and ankle injuries?

Knee and ankle injuries often happen because racquet sports involve hard braking, side-stepping, lunging, twisting, and quick recovery steps. These actions load the knee and ankle heavily, especially on tired legs or slippery courts. Poor footwear, reduced balance, and weak calf, hip, or landing control can further increase injury risk.

Training errors and risk factors

Several factors can increase the risk of racquet sports injuries. A previous injury is one of the strongest warning signs. Players are also more likely to get sore or break down when they return too quickly after time off, add extra matches without enough recovery, or increase serving and smashing volume too fast.

Sudden increase in match volume or intensity
Poor stroke mechanics or rushed technique changes
Weak shoulder blade, forearm, hip, or calf control
Inadequate warm-up before explosive play
Old shoes, poor grip size, or unsuitable racquet setup
Playing through persistent pain instead of addressing it early

How equipment can contribute to racquet sports injuries

Equipment matters more than many players realise. A racquet grip that is too small or too large can increase forearm and elbow load. String tension, racquet weight, and balance point can also change how much force travels into the arm. In addition, worn shoes or poor court grip can raise the risk of ankle and knee injuries during lateral movement and lunging.

For general Australian health information, Healthdirect explains how physiotherapy may help with sports injury recovery and prevention.

How to prevent racquet sports injuries

Prevention starts with matching your body to the demands of your sport. Most players do better when they build load gradually, warm up properly, and strengthen the key areas that control serving, rotation, landing, and court movement.

Warm up properly: Use light cardio, dynamic mobility, and rehearsal of sport-specific footwork and strokes.
Build strength: Train the shoulder, forearm, trunk, hips, calves, and landing control.
Progress load gradually: Increase total court time, serving load, and match intensity in sensible steps.
Check technique: Good coaching can reduce stress on the shoulder, elbow, and lower limb.
Review equipment: Racquet setup, grip size, and shoes should suit your body and playing style.
Recover well: Sleep, recovery days, and symptom monitoring all matter.

When should you get racquet sports injuries checked?

You should get racquet sports injuries assessed if pain keeps returning, affects your stroke or footwork, causes swelling or instability, or stops you from training normally. Early care is especially important after a twist, pop, sudden tear, or any head impact. Prompt assessment can help clarify the diagnosis and guide a safe return to play.

Recovery and rehabilitation after racquet sports injuries

Recovery depends on the tissue involved, the severity of the injury, and the demands of your sport. Physiotherapy usually focuses on settling pain, restoring movement, rebuilding strength and tendon capacity, improving footwork or stroke mechanics, and progressing back to training in stages. For racquet sports injuries, rehab often needs to include both general conditioning and sport-specific loading so the athlete is ready for repeated matches, overhead work, and quick court movement.

Frequently asked questions about racquet sports injuries

What is the most common racquet sports injury?

Tennis elbow is one of the best-known racquet sports injuries, but it is not the only one. Shoulder pain, ankle sprains, knee pain, calf strains, and overuse tendon problems are also common. The injury pattern varies between tennis, squash, badminton, and racquetball because each sport places different loads on the body.

Can beginners get racquet sports injuries?

Yes. Beginners often get injured when they do too much too soon, use poor technique, or play without enough strength and conditioning. New players may also use equipment that does not suit them. Building court time gradually and learning efficient movement patterns can lower risk.

Are racquet sports injuries usually overuse or sudden injuries?

Both occur. Overuse problems such as elbow, shoulder, and tendon pain are common when stroke volume builds up over time. Sudden injuries such as ankle sprains, muscle tears, or knee twists can also happen during lunging, landing, or rapid changes of direction.

Can physiotherapy help racquet sports injuries?

Yes. Physiotherapy can help identify the main pain source, improve strength and movement quality, modify training load, and guide return to sport. It can also help with stroke-related overload, landing mechanics, balance, and recovery planning after both acute and overuse injuries.

Related racquet and sports injury pages

What to do next

If your pain is affecting your serve, grip, lunging, or court speed, it is worth getting the injury properly checked. A physiotherapist can assess the painful structure, identify contributing factors such as technique or load, and explain the best next step for recovery.

The right plan may include hands-on treatment, exercise rehabilitation, load modification, footwear or racquet advice, and a staged return to training and competition. Early action often makes it easier to settle pain and get back to racquet sports with more confidence.