A recently released study shows that the more matches a junior plays in a tournament, the more likely it is that he or she will have to pull out with an injury. How’s that for obvious? While it is intuitive, it’s the first time there’s been hard data on medical withdrawals for juniors. The study, which is based on findings from the four USTA national junior tournaments in 2005, found that after four matches, young players are twice as likely to withdraw for medical reasons.

The simple fact is that high-level tennis necessitates a high level of effort, and it can take a toll on the body. It’s the same in the pro game. After the grueling early part of the season, the pros always start to seem exhausted, like they’re collectively dragging themselves toward the off-season finish line. Most juniors don't play quite as much as professionals, but those who are very serious about tennis get close when you include the hours they spend training. Plus, at junior tournaments, breaks between matches can be much shorter, and many juniors play multiple matches in the same day.

So what does this mean for junior tennis? For the individual, it all comes down to taking care of yourself. Proper rest, nutrition and training are all key to making it through a tournament. In interviews with experts who train tennis players, there’s one thing they always seem to emphasize when it comes to preventing injury: “prehabbing.” It may be a made up word, but it’s important. As opposed to rehabilitation, where you do therapies and exercises to help heal an injury, prehabilitation is about preventing injuries. Prehab exercises usually involve working on flexibility or strengthening muscles surrounding and supporting a joint with very small weights or resistance bands. In a recent conversation with JohnMark Jenkins, who works with juniors as the strength and conditioning coach at Evert Academy in Boca Raton, Fla., he especially stressed prehabbing the rotator cuff (like in the exercise at right) to reduce risk of injury to your shoulder area. For a description of the exercise and a couple more anti-injury moves, click here.

Of course, there are things organizations like the USTA can do, too. The study’s lead author, Neeru A. Jayanthi, M.D., from Loyola University in Chicago, suggests that tournaments decrease the number of matches played each day for juniors. He also recommends an extended rest after a player’s fourth match. That would help juniors recover more fully and be ready to perform their best in the next round.