The most common injuries in padel — and how to avoid them

Dr. Ferran Abat is a traumatologist specializing in sports injuries. He is part of Agustín Tapia and Sanyo Gutiérrez's team. He tells us which are the most common injuries in Padel and how to prevent them.
— People think it's just come in, hit four smashes, and start playing. That's when injuries happen, he says

Both professional and amateur padel players must take the necessary precautions to avoid injury. Generally, the amateur player believes that just getting to the court and starting to play is enough. But a good warm-up beforehand, strengthening work of the areas involved in padel, and stretching are essential to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Dr. Ferran Abat, a physiotherapist of professional padel players such as Agustín Tapia, Sanyo Gutiérrez, Denis Perino, and Anna Cortiles, among others, tells us which are the exercises to keep in mind to avoid the top 3 padel injuries.

— People think it's just come in, hit four smashes, and start playing. That's when injuries happen. You have to warm up before the match, and rubber exercises are essential to come in with warm muscles and joints, Abat says. 

What are the most common injuries in padel?

— In the top 3 of the most frequent injuries, we find elbow injuries (epicondylitis), shoulder injuries (rotator cuff injuries), and muscle ruptures, especially in the calf, which are the most common in this sport.

As a professional, what advice would you give us to avoid them?

— To avoid them, several points must be considered: 

• You must work on your shoulder, elbow, and forearm muscles to be strong. Otherwise, you can't hit the ball hard because you will injure yourself.
• Very good technique: it is very important to take lessons because if your technique is not good, and for example, you hit the ball 80% of the time out of the sweet spot, this will create brutal muscular tensions.
• The type of racket you use is very important because not everyone can play with just any racket: you have to find the racket that suits your style of play and muscle power.
• Be methodical, work for the muscle groups, and treat contractures or injuries appropriately to avoid recurrence.

In case of muscular injuries, a good warm-up beforehand and adequate physical preparation will minimize the risk of injury. Then you have to consider the type of footwear you use, which must be suitable and that the court is in good condition.