Wimbledon 2016: Successful tennis players have more muscle and higher BMI

When it comes to winning Wimbledon, muscle is more important than skill, researchers say.

World No. 1 Serena Williams holds the championship trophy at the 2012 US Open tennis tournament in New York. Picture: AP

When it comes to winning Wimbledon, muscle is more important than skill.

World No. 2 Andy Murray flexes his muscles during a practice session.

A study of the build of tennis players has confirmed that the most successful players have a higher body mass index. The research found that over the course of four decades the most successful players have moved from being lean, endurance athletes to being more muscular.

Alan Nevill of the University of Wolverhampton said that it was now the case that a strong build was more important to reach the final stages of tournaments.

“Our research shows that in the 1980s players were more likely to be lean and linear, rather than muscular or bulky; these were endurance athletes who relied on skill — for example Bjorn Borg,” he said.

“These days, as observed in the example of Andy Murray, most elite players have fitness coaches and have become concerned with strength and conditioning to get through to final stages of grand slam tournaments.”

The study, carried out by Professor Nevill and Adam Watts, appears in the European Journal of Sport Science. It examined data from the four grand slam tennis tournaments over the past four decades about the shape and size of male players.

A shirtless Rafael Nadal of Spain in action.

The study revealed that BMI increased from the early 1980s, growing at its fastest rate during the 1990s and peaking in 2009-10.

Professor Nevill said that the trade-off between muscle and leanness had resulted in modern players suffering more injuries.

“High levels of muscle mass and low levels of body fat afford competitive advantage in terms of the ability to generate greater power behind shots, as well as the potential to generate greater speed and agility around the court,” he said.

“There is, however, a trade off with the intensity of training required to develop muscle mass. Both [Rafael] Nadal and Murray have experienced periods of injury in recent years. These injuries are consistent with the profile of injuries experienced by elite tennis players, most occurring in the lower extremities, followed by the upper extremities and then the trunk.”

The Times

21-time Grand Slam winner, Serena Williams, showcases her muscles in a spread for New York Magazine. Picture: Twitter