Pilates and tennis: why regular pilates practice is such a good way to improve your on-court performance

A woman playing tennis

Credit: Getty

Strong Women


Pilates and tennis: why regular pilates practice is such a good way to improve your on-court performance

By Lauren Geall

2 years ago

4 min read

From enhanced power to improved flexibility, here’s why tennis stars like Serena Williams use pilates to level up their game.  


From helping runners to avoid injury to providing weightlifters with a way to increase their power, pilates is one of those exercise forms that’s universally great. So, it’s no surprise that tennis stars including Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka have previously spoken about using pilates to improve their game.

With its focus on mobility, flexibility and strength, pilates can offer a whole host of benefits to athletes both on and off the court – making it the ideal place to start if you’re feeling inspired to start playing tennis post-Wimbledon.

But what kind of impact can you expect pilates to have on your tennis game? Below, Louise Buttler, a pilates instructor and founder of the online pilates platform LIVE BRAVE, and Yvette McGaffin, CEO and co-founder of the pilates company Reform RX, explain why a regular pilates practice is such a good way to improve your tennis performance. 


1. It re-establishes balance in the body

Playing tennis requires multiple parts of your body to work in unison – and while that’s not a bad thing, it can leave you a little out of balance after a while. Pilates can help to correct that.

“The game of tennis requires the spine to constantly rotate and extend, which can have significant impact on the knees, hips and shoulders, and as a result, many tennis players wind up with imbalances in the body, especially in their muscles and joints,” Buttler says.

“Unilateral exercises are regularly used in pilates to help correct such imbalances, creating harmony in the body and working to develop balanced muscles throughout. Working one side of the body can also help to correct and stabilise any muscular weaknesses and imbalances that spring up on the court.”

The core strengthening benefit of pilates is particularly important here, McGaffin adds. “Strengthening the core is a primary focus of pilates thanks to its focus on stability and control,” she says. “This will help you stay strong and balanced when you’re moving quickly around the court or jumping up for a powerful shot.” 

2. It enhances power

A woman doing pilates at home

Credit: Getty

Everyone knows that one of the key qualities of a good tennis player is a powerful serve, and pilates can play a key role in developing the strength needed to do this.

“Pilates’ focus on precision and control can help to improve strength across the shoulder girdle and supporting muscles, such as the lats, while also improving the range of motion available in your shoulder,” McGaffin explains. “This can help to increase your power and movement in your serve and your strokes on the court.” 

3. It improves flexibility

Flexibility may not be the first skill you associate with tennis, but it can play an important role in a player’s ability to move around the court and reach tricky shots.

“Pilates helps to improve flexibility in your lower back and hips, allowing for a greater range of movement,” Buttler says. “This means players can move more fluidly to reach the more challenging and hard to reach shots.”

McGaffin agrees: “Tennis can be a demanding sport on the body, and it can lead to tight muscles and a decreased range of motion. Pilates can help improve flexibility, as it incorporates a range of dynamic stretches that lengthen the muscles, providing opportunity to deepen the stretch in every session.

“This will allow you to move more nimbly around the court helping you stretch across the court for a ball coming down the line.”

4. It builds stabilising muscles

A woman doing pilates at home

Credit: Getty

Playing tennis involves a lot of twisting and turning, which can inevitably lead to injury if you’re not well prepared. Pilates – with its focus on stabilising muscles – can provide some protection against this.

In particular, McGaffin points out, pilates can be a great tool for preventing knee pain or injury – something that’s particularly common among tennis players.

“Pilates can help strengthen the glutes and quads; muscles which work to stabilise and protect the knees,” she says. “Strengthening the muscles around the knee with help from pilates can help to reduce fatigue and injury risk from the repetitive jumping and side-to-side movements.”

Building deep stabilising muscles in the core – which are also targeted during pilates – can also help to prevent damage.

“Pilates works like no other form of movement to develop the deep stabilising muscles in the body and core,” Buttler says. “Tennis players often have to return a serve from awkward angles and positions, such as sideways – not to mention they are off-balance too – and while this can result in injuries, a strong centre allows players to recover balance and prevent muscle damage.” 

5. It boosts your mind-body connection

Playing tennis isn’t just about physical strength – as is the case with many other sports, it requires a lot of mental strength and focus, too. And according to Buttler, pilates is the perfect way to build this mind-body connection.

“Pilates is primarily a mindful form of movement – it requires a significant amount of focus, attention and presence as you tune into smaller muscles,” she says. “As it requires so much precision, it creates a deep connection between body and mind.”

That sense of mindfulness can also help to calm pre-match nerves, Buttler adds. “We all know the role mindfulness can play in reducing stress – something tennis players need in bucket loads, especially on the court.” 


Images: Getty

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