Tennis Over 40? Here’s the Truth About Ageing, Movement, and Performance

At some point, most tennis players over 40 start noticing changes.

You might feel a little slower getting to wide balls.
Recovery takes longer.
The body feels tighter after matches.
Explosive movement becomes harder.
Small injuries seem to hang around longer than they used to.

The reality is ageing does impact tennis performance.

But here is the good news…

A lot of what players blame on “getting older” is often actually:

• Loss of strength
• Loss of movement quality
• Reduced mobility
• Poor recovery habits
• Inconsistent training

Not simply age itself.

At Tennis Fitness, we have spent over 30 years helping tennis players improve how they move, feel, and perform on court through our structured online tennis fitness programs. Over the years we have worked with players including Lleyton Hewitt, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Jennifer Capriati and Samantha Stosur.

One thing we consistently see is this:

Players over 40 can still move incredibly well, feel athletic, and compete at a high level when they train the right way.

I recently caught up with Michael Rogers from Seniors Tennis Unpacked to discuss training, movement, and performance for tennis players over 40. If you want further insight into this topic, it is definitely worth checking out the conversation.

Watch the full conversation below.

The Real Ageing Battle for Tennis Players

As we age, the body naturally changes.

Research shows adults can lose approximately 3–8% of muscle mass per decade after the age of 30, with the decline often increasing further after 60. Strength, reaction speed, power production, mobility, and recovery ability can also gradually decrease over time.

For tennis players, this can lead to:

• Slower movement around the court
• Reduced explosive speed
• Less power on serve and groundstrokes
• More stiffness through hips, shoulders, and spine
• Increased fatigue during long matches
• Higher injury risk if training is neglected

Reaction time can also slow with age, particularly if players stop challenging movement, coordination, and speed regularly.

This is why many players begin to feel like they are “losing their game.”

But ageing does not automatically mean your tennis has to decline rapidly.

The players who age best in tennis are usually the players who continue training consistently and intelligently.

Common Tennis Ageing Myths

Myth 1: Strength Training Will Injure You

This is one of the biggest myths older tennis players still believe.

Poorly programmed training can absolutely cause issues.
But properly structured strength training is actually one of the best things older players can do.

Strength training can help:

• Protect joints
• Improve tendon strength
• Reduce injury risk
• Improve bone density
• Increase movement confidence
• Improve balance and stability
• Maintain muscle mass

In many cases, older players get injured because they are too weak, not because they are too strong.

Myth 2: Once Your Speed Is Gone, It’s Gone

Many players assume slower movement is simply part of ageing.

While ageing does affect speed and power, players can still dramatically improve:

• First step quickness
• Movement efficiency
• Balance
• Recovery speed
• Deceleration control
• Footwork patterns

At Tennis Fitness, we regularly see players over 40 improve how they move within weeks of starting structured movement and strength training.

Often the body simply has not been trained correctly for tennis movement in years.

Myth 3: You Cannot Improve How You Play After 40

This is completely false.

Many players actually become smarter and more efficient tennis players as they age.

When players improve:

• Movement quality
• Strength
• Recovery
• Mobility
• Conditioning

They often feel more confident physically and mentally on court.

We have seen many players in their 40s, 50s, and even 60s moving better than they did years earlier because they finally started training specifically for tennis.

Myth 4: Injuries Are Just Part of Getting Older

Yes, injury risk can increase with age.

But recurring injuries are often more connected to:

• Poor movement quality
• Weak muscles
• Tight hips and shoulders
• Lack of recovery
• Inconsistent training
• Too much tennis and not enough physical preparation

Many tennis injuries are preventable when players focus on improving strength, mobility, and movement patterns consistently. In fact, many recurring issues are caused by poor preparation and movement habits rather than age itself. We discuss this further in our article on why most tennis players keep getting injured and how to fix it.

The 3 Biggest Areas Older Tennis Players Should Focus On

1. Strength

Strength becomes even more important as we age.

Not bodybuilding strength.
Functional tennis strength.

Strength training helps players:

• Maintain muscle mass
• Protect joints
• Improve power
• Improve balance
• Support faster movement
• Reduce injury risk

Even two to three properly structured sessions per week can make a major difference.

2. Mobility

Many older players do not necessarily lose fitness first.

They lose movement quality.

Tight hips, stiff thoracic spine rotation, poor ankle mobility, and shoulder restrictions can dramatically impact:

• Movement efficiency
• Stroke production
• Serve mechanics
• Recovery
• Injury risk

Mobility training helps players move more freely and efficiently on court.

3. Tennis Specific Movement

This is the missing piece for many older players.

Traditional gym work alone is often not enough.

Tennis requires:

• Multi directional movement
• Acceleration and deceleration
• Rotational control
• Balance
• Coordination
• Reaction speed

Players who continue training movement patterns specific to tennis often maintain their athleticism far longer. We regularly see players improve significantly when they focus on movement quality rather than simply trying to train harder. If you want to learn more, check out our article on how to move better on the tennis court without training harder.

Train Smarter as You Age

The goal is not trying to train like a 20 year old.

The goal is training intelligently for the body you have now while still challenging it enough to improve.

At Members Tennis Fitness, our Over 40’s Strength, Movement and Mobility Program was specifically designed for tennis players who want to:

• Move better on court
• Feel stronger and more athletic
• Improve mobility
• Reduce injuries
• Improve recovery
• Maintain performance as they age

The reality is this:

Getting older is unavoidable.

Moving poorly, feeling weak, and constantly breaking down does not have to be.