You reach up for a serve, swing through a forehand, and feel pain around your shoulder or elbow. Sometimes it appears with a particular movement. Other times, the discomfort only becomes noticeable after the match or gradually builds over several sessions. This is because tennis repeatedly places the upper limb under load, with the shoulder and elbow helping to generate, transfer, and control force through serves, forehands, and backhands.
Over time, these demands can contribute to injury, even among professional players. Aryna Sabalenka withdrew from Wimbledon in 2024 because of a shoulder injury, while Novak Djokovic was forced to retire from his Wimbledon quarterfinal in 2017 because of an elbow injury. The wrist can be affected too. Carlos Alcaraz, for example, suffered a right wrist injury in 2026 that kept him away from competition for more than four months before he returned at the US Open.
While the above examples are associated with professional tennis players, similar problems can also develop in those who play recreationally. In these players, factors such as playing volume, technique, conditioning, and recovery rate can affect how well the body tolerates repeated use. Beyond these factors, different tennis movements can place greater demands on different areas of the upper limb. Among them, the shoulder is particularly involved during serves and other overhead movements.
Why Does My Shoulder Hurt After Playing Tennis?
The shoulder is particularly active during serves and other overhead movements because its wide range of motion helps you generate and control power through serves, smashes, and overhead shots. However, repeatedly taking the arm through these high-speed movements can also place considerable stress on the structures that help keep the shoulder stable.
Three shoulder injuries tennis players might experience are:
- Rotator cuff injuries – The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that help stabilise and move your shoulder. Repetitive serving and overhead strokes can irritate or overload these tendons, leading to pain when raising your arm, weakness, or discomfort during play. Rotator cuff tears can also develop gradually over time or occur following a more acute injury.
- Labral tears – The labrum is a rim of cartilage that helps deepen and stabilise the shoulder socket. Repeated overhead movements, including serving, can place stress on the labrum and might contribute to injuries such as a superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) tear. Symptoms can include shoulder pain, clicking or catching, and a feeling of instability during certain movements.
- Biceps tendinopathy – The long head of the biceps tendon attaches within the shoulder and can also be affected by repeated overhead activity. In tennis players, frequent serving and similar movements might irritate or overload the tendon, often causing pain at the front of the shoulder that becomes more noticeable when lifting the arm or reaching overhead.
At first, shoulder pain might only appear during serves or overhead shots. However, should the problem progress, the discomfort might become more frequent or be accompanied by weakness, stiffness, or reduced range of motion. These changes can make it increasingly difficult to serve, smash, or reach comfortably during play.
It’s also important to remember that tennis movements involve a kinetic chain, with force transferred through the body before reaching the racket. Within this chain, the shoulder works together with the elbow and forearm, which are also exposed to repeated demands during play.
Why Does My Elbow Hurt After Playing Tennis?
Every forehand, backhand, and serve requires your forearm muscles to grip the racquet, control the wrist, and help transfer force through the arm. When these movements are repeated repetitively, the tendons around the elbow can become overloaded.
Two common problems tennis players might experience are:
- Tennis elbow – Tennis elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis, affects the tendons on the outside of the elbow. Repeated gripping and wrist movements during tennis can overload these tendons, causing pain or tenderness that might become more noticeable when gripping the racquet, hitting a backhand, or extending the wrist.
- Golfer’s Elbow – Despite its name, golfer’s elbow can also affect tennis players. Also known as medial epicondylitis, it involves the tendons on the inside of the elbow. Repeated gripping and wrist movements can place stress on these tendons, causing pain or tenderness that might become more noticeable during serves, forehands, or forceful gripping.
The above-mentioned conditions are two examples of how repeated tennis movements can affect the elbow, although other structures around the elbow and forearm might also be involved. Depending on the structures affected, pain might develop gradually, first appearing during certain shots or when gripping the racquet before becoming more noticeable during longer rallies, matches, or everyday activities.
Beyond the elbow and forearm, many of these same movements also rely on the wrist for racquet control. As a result, repeated gripping and wrist movement can place demands further down the arm as well, making the wrist another area where pain and injury might develop.
Why Does My Wrist Hurt When Playing Tennis?
The wrist plays an important role in racquet control, spin, and stability at impact. These repeated demands mean it has to manage both movement and force throughout play, which can leave different structures around the wrist vulnerable to pain or injury.
When pain follows a sudden movement, one possible injury is a sprain, which occurs when the ligaments supporting the wrist are overstretched or torn. In tennis, this can happen after an awkward twist, sudden impact, or forceful movement, causing swelling, pain, or difficulty in moving the wrist normally.
On the other hand, not every wrist problem follows one obvious incident. Tendons and other structures can also become a source of discomfort through repeated use, with symptoms becoming more noticeable over time. As with shoulder and elbow problems, persistent pain or stiffness that extends beyond discomfort during play and starts affecting everyday movement might be worth seeking medical attention from an orthopaedic specialist.
When Should I See a Doctor for Shoulder, Elbow, or Wrist Pain?
One important consideration is whether your symptoms are settling with rest and recovery. If pain persists, becomes more frequent, or starts limiting normal movement, the problem might warrant a closer look. Additionally, swelling, stiffness, weakness, or instability can further suggest that the injury isn’t recovering as expected.
At Oxford Orthopaedics, this starts with reviewing how the problem developed and examining the affected area. Based on these findings, imaging might be recommended where needed to clarify which structures are involved and the extent of the injury. Once the diagnosis is clearer, Dr Lester Tan can advise on the treatment approach best suited to your condition and recovery goals. If the pain is still getting in the way of daily movement or impeding your return to the court, please contact the clinic to book an appointment.
