332: Growth, Maturation and Athletic Development in Tennis

Tennis players need far more than clean technique and a strong forehand. They need to be fast, powerful, durable and able to recover well enough to perform across an unpredictable, year-round competitive schedule.

This week, Richard Graves is joined by Joshua Dragone, Head of Athletic Development at Dukes Meadows Tennis Academy, to explore what effective physical development looks like in tennis.

Joshua explains why tennis S&C demands a different approach: players may be travelling, competing, dealing with limited gym access or adjusting plans after every match. He shares how he identifies the key physical qualities to target, creates structure without becoming rigid, and helps young players build the recovery, hydration and fuelling habits that support long-term development.

The conversation also looks at maturation, the influence of social media on junior training, and why parents, tennis coaches and athletic development coaches need to be aligned around the individual athlete.

In this episode you will learn

Why tennis requires athletes to develop speed, power, change of direction, robustness and energy-system capacity at the same time.

How to plan physical preparation around an unpredictable tournament schedule.

How to identify the one or two physical priorities that matter most for an individual player.

Why growth and maturation should shape expectations and programming in junior tennis.

How to use training windows effectively when players are travelling and competing.

The role of sleep, hydration and fuelling in availability, recovery and performance.

Why junior tennis players are often under-fuelled — and how practitioners and parents can help.