Musculoskeletal Injuries and Illness in Professional British Tennis Players: An Injury Surveillance Study.

Only 33 players were analysed, and four of 37 eligible players were excluded because they used their own medical team, so the findings may not represent all players on the programme. The design was retrospective analysis of medical records and weekly meetings, not real-time reporting, so some details may depend on what staff recorded. Exposure was days on programme, not hours of training or match play, so rates are not directly comparable with studies using 1000 hours or 1000 games. The study did not describe specific illness types, tissue diagnoses, injury mechanisms, activities at injury, or court surface, so it cannot explain why injuries occurred. Sex differences were descriptive; the study did not test whether male and female players have different true injury risks. Age range was 14 to 37 years, and the authors note different age groups may respond to load, injury, and treatment differently.

Do not read this as proof that ankle braces, shoulder exercises, or illness prevention programmes prevent tennis injuries. The study only counted injuries and illnesses in 33 players over one year and did not test any treatment.