Tennis is definitely one of the most popular and beloved sports in the world: born in the nineteenth century in England, it is known and appreciated all over the world thanks to The Championships, Wimbledon – commonly known as Wimbledon - its oldest and most important tournament. Wimbledon takes place every year between June and July and is the third in chronological order of the four Grand Slam tournaments.
It is currently the only one played on grass courts, unlike the US Open and the Australian Open, which are played on concrete courts, and Roland Garros, on clay. Given the importance of the event, the greatest professional tennis players set their competition calendar according to whether or not they participate in Wimbledon.
Uniqueness of Wimbledon and its champions
Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tournament that since 1877 has been played in the courts of the same club in south-west London, the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, on grass fields of the English ryegrass type, 8 millimeters high. It is the only one that imposes on all athletes a dress code to take to the field: the organizers check that each tennis player’s uniforms are in conformity two weeks before the beginning of the tournament. Pants, T-shirts, socks and shoes must be white, although the logos of the technical sponsor may be of a different colour.
The first Wimbledon Tournament began on July the 9th of that year and only the men's singles tournament, the Gentlemen's Singles, which was won by Spencer Gore, was organized. About 200 spectators paid a shilling each to attend the final.
If lawn tennis is now synonymous with Wimbledon is because it was actually born in Wimbledon, when a similar discipline called sphairistikè (in Greek: σφαιριστική, meaning "ball game") was designed and patented in 1868 by the British army officer Walter Clopton Wingfield. The game quickly took root as a leisure activity for the upper middle class and the British nobility, so much so that it was added to the activities of the prestigious All England Croquet Club of Wimbledon, which became All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, where the tournament is still played.
The easiest way to join the Club? Winning the Wimbledon Tournament
The Club of Wimbledon has a total of 565 members, divided into full, life, honorary, temporary and junior temporary; only 375 them have full membership. There are different ways to join the club; you can be proposed by 4 full members, who must write an introduction letter to the committee, which will then judge the application even acceptance is not a certainty (the wait can last years and the waiting list has about 1000 people). You can also be admitted as an honorary member for spousal reasons, as in the case of Kate Middleton and 70 other members, and last but not least, you can be admitted by winning the tournament.
The benefits of tennis and the physical preparation of the tennis player
According to a 2017 study by the Harvard School of Medicine, people who regularly take part in racquet sports can reduce their chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Tennis offers excellent full-bodied training and, like low-impact racket sports such as badminton or table tennis, it can be a good choice for people who have certain health conditions or seniors.
Tennis is a sport with clear benefits: its great expenditure of physical and mental energy requires strength and technique to place winning shots, speed for fast and effective changes of direction and resistance for the duration of the games. It increases the muscular tone of the whole body, develops coordination, promotes concentration and teaches self-control. It also allows to clear your mind. Finally, it is perfect for keeping in shape: a tennis match allows you to burn an average of 400 to 500 kcal in a single hour of play.
If you don't train, you don't deserve to win. Andre Agassi - Open
Functional training
When trying to improve the performance of tennis, there are two key factors to consider: technical and physiological skills. Looking at a professional tennis player, it becomes apparent that there are a variety of key skills to learn.
According to some studies, the functional training methodology for tennis players works on the athlete's progressively greater capacity for joint mobility, such as physical self-awareness, neuromuscular coordination, dynamic control of the body's centre of gravity and all other structural areas (kinetic chains), and forces the person to get to know himself, progressively going beyond his limits.
Functional training works to raise awareness of one's physical and mental abilities and allows one to rejoin mind and body.
But what are the champions who in modern times have made the history of the tournament? What are the best shots? How to train them?
Training the best shots with Technogym
Technogym has always been at the side of the world's most important tennis players, studying innovative solutions to train their skills with smart cardio equipment, strength and functionality.
Wimbledon’s history is tennis history, and the shots of the great champions that have raised the trophy are emulated by sportsmen from around the world, who replicate them on courts. What are these hits and how can we improve them in our training routine? Why does practicing this sport bring benefits to the body?
Roger Federer forehand
Roger Federer has collected 98 international titles in his prize list, winning 8 times at Wimbledon in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2017 (absolute record). According to experts, the Swiss champion's forehand is one of the best shots in the history of tennis in terms of both effectiveness and performance, and is therefore a significant weapon in his repertoire. It's a natural, elegant but at the same time powerful shot (up to 2800 rpm), and it's a cornerstone of the Swiss game. Federer is able to play it in topspin and flatten it out to the point of turning it into a winning shot.
Train the forehand
In modern tennis forehand is the most used shot in the creation of the point. For this reason, increasing speed, while maintaining control, plays a key role in achieving optimal performance. In general, forehand is a shot that can be trained in many ways and it is important to have a good command of it, because it allows you to lead the exchange and then the point in your favor. Those who master it with confidence can find deep and complex shots, perhaps at the intersection of the lines, which pose serious difficulties to the opponent. To better train this specific shot, it is important to work on different aspects, including movement, power and stability.
Strength training is essential to improve the depth of a shot, like the forehand in today's tennis. Exercises such as the Chest Press Artis arm stretching and a series of bust bending on Total Abdominal Artis can improve the power of the shot.
To improve the smoothness and precision of the shot, the Kinesis functional platform perfectly supports the movements practiced in tennis. Kinesis Personal allows users to freely explore a wide range of natural movements to improve functional skills in everyday life. The patented Full Gravity technology allows you to activate entire kinetic chains instead of individual muscles.
In this case, train the movement of the arm with sequences at the right load of clockwise and counterclockwise rotations, to stress the rotator cuff, the bibs and the trapeziums will allow you to work on the precision of the execution.
Rafael Nadal's left-handed forehand
Although Nadal has won the Wimbledon tournament only twice, in 2004 and 2005, he must be included in this special selection for the peculiarity of his left-handed forehand, a unique player shot in the world tennis. The shot is not among the most impactful from an aesthetic perspective (unlike, for example, Federer's) but it stands out for its power and performance characteristics: the average rotation of the ball reaches 3200 rpm, with an apex of 4900, a figure that is difficult to reach by other professional players.
To reach such greatest hights in terms of power, become important the core training. Modern tennis requires players to use fast, multidirectional movements that can be dictated by the style of the player or the opponent, and having them well trained allows for better performance.
The upper and lower extremities work together during tennis shots and movement patterns to ensure that a player arrives at the ball on time, balanced and in the best possible position to hit the ball.
The upper and lower extremities work together during tennis shots and movement patterns to ensure that a player arrives at the ball on time, balanced and in the best possible position to hit the ball.
The backhand of Rod Laver
Rod Laver has won a total of 200 international titles (52 ATP) in his career, including 4 times Wimbledon. He got 2 Wimbledon titles in the pre Open era and 2 more in the pre Open era (since 1968). An explosive and reactive tennis player, Rod Laver won the Wimbledon Championships in 1961, 1962, 1968 and 1969. First true champion of the Open era, the real strength of his was his left-handed backhand, often hit on the run. A remarkable plus compared to his opponents, a shot that he was able to close thanks to the speed, the natural power of his left forearm and the strength of the wrist, trained with specific sessions.
Strength, power and running speed: to develop these skills, the upper body needs to be trained carefully and frequently. Thanks to Technogym's Top Excite, a more varied, stimulating and effective cardio workout is possible: the cyclic movement of the arms strengthens and tones the upper muscles and improves their resistance, allowing you to achieve optimal physical fitness in the upper part of your body.
You can train at the required speed with Cruise Control, do your exercises with a constant level of difficulty with Custom Power, regardless of the speed of execution, or according to the speed set with Custom Speed, which automatically varies the resistance to maintain the correct RPM.