Injury prevention highlighted at latest ITF/ATP/WTA education session

Injury prevention was the topic up for discussion at the latest ITF/ATP/WTA education session, which was held for players ahead of the 2024 Roland Garros Junior Championships in Paris.

Education sessions for the stars of tomorrow are now commonplace at Grand Slams and other high-profile junior events, with the learning opportunities considered vital for elite juniors as they advance along the player pathway.

The latest session was opened by former No. 3 Ivan Ljubicic, who coached 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer from 2016-2022 and is now the French Tennis Federation’s Director of Ambition 2024. Ljubicic is also a former junior world No. 2 and spoke about his experience of playing junior tennis, how he coped with injuries and the importance of listening to your body.

Matt Perry, the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s Director of Education, then spoke about an athlete’s right to health and medical treatment, reinforcing that players’ wellbeing is the agency’s priority. Perry further underlined the importance of checking all medication for prohibited substances, but also advised on the protocol surrounding Therapeutic Use Exemptions.

ATP Physio David Pires, who was leading the session, discussed with players the common injuries that tennis competitors suffer, how to approach surface changes and the importance of conditioning, stretching and recovery. He then joined WTA counterpart Martina Kehoe for a highly informative Q&A. 

The emphasis of the ITF/ATP/WTA education sessions is always the person behind the player, making sure they have the off-court support and knowledge to have the best possible career within the game. The next session will be pre-Wimbledon.