How to Prevent Tennis Elbow: 6 At-Home Exercises

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is the most common overuse injury in amateur tennis – and in most cases it's self-inflicted: too much load, too little counterbalance, plus a backhand technique that pulls the ball from the arm instead of the body. The good news: ten minutes of prevention a week is usually enough.

The 6 exercises

1. Eccentric wrist extensors (3×12): Forearm on a table, hand over the edge, light dumbbell or water bottle. Lift with both hands, lower slowly with one – four seconds down. The king exercise against tennis elbow.

2. Supination/pronation (3×10): Grip a hammer or bottle at the end, slowly rotate the forearm in and out. Strengthens the rotators that work on every topspin.

3. Finger extensors with a band (3×15): A simple hair tie around the fingers, spread against resistance. The counterpart of your grip muscles – almost never trained, often the weak link.

4. Shoulder external rotation (3×12 each side): Resistance band, elbow tucked to your body, pull the forearm outward. Stabilizes the shoulder for serves and overheads.

5. Forearm stretches (2×30 seconds): Arm straight, gently pull the hand down (extensors) and up (flexors) with the other hand. After every tennis session.

6. Nerve glide (2×8): Arm out to the side, palm up, slowly tilt the head away and back. A gentle glide, never a stretch – keeps the nerve at the elbow moving freely.

When to be careful

A pulling pain that shows up earlier each session is a warning sign, not a character test. The response: reduce load, have your technique checked (late contact on the backhand is the classic), and get medical advice if it persists. Toughness is a virtue in a tiebreak; with tendon irritation it's expensive.

And honestly: check your equipment too. A stiff frame strung too tight multiplies the shocks your elbow absorbs.

MatchGrit's athletic sessions build prevention into your week by default – so you're still playing in five years instead of telling stories about your tennis elbow.

*Note: this article is not medical advice. For persistent pain, see a doctor or physiotherapist.*