Home Court Advantages: How "tennis at home" kept the game going

For more on recreational tennis during this unprecedented time—including the best quarantine workout; a guide to improving your ball toss from your couch; what the pros have done to stay active; nutrition tips, advice on how to cope with COVID-19; and drills while hitting against a wall (of any size)—click here.

Picture Roger Federer clad in crisp white from head to toe. Standing against a sea of green, he shows off some volleying magic for fans around the world.

It’s not a scene from the perfectly manicured lawns at the All England Club—rather, the 38-year-old stood in front of a green backboard at his home, rapidly firing volleys from his racquet against the wall. The video came from Federer’s Twitter account on April 7, less than a week after Wimbledon announced the cancellation of their 2020 tournament as a result of COVID-19.

“Here’s a helpful solo drill,” Federer wrote. “Let’s see what you got! Reply back with a video and I’ll provide some tips.”

Federer capped the post with the hashtag #tennisathome, which didn’t exist until March 17, when the ATP Tour first used it on its social-media channels. Just nine days earlier, Indian Wells became the first tournament casualty of the coronavirus, and with no return date for professional tennis in sight, videos featuring the hashtag (and the WTA equivalent, #homecourt) began popping up.

Federer’s video helped spread the message, as it were, and helped reinforce the USTA’s April 3 statement encouraging players of every level to “take a collective pause from playing the sport” as we know it.

“In the meantime,” the message continued, “we encourage everyone to stay active and healthy with at-home exercise and creative ‘tennis-at-home’ variations.”

The unique reality of tennis in the time of coronavirus is that pros and Joes are all in the same boat: homebound, and looking to stay connected to the sport they love.

Recreational players have posted videos hitting balls between balconies, rallying in empty streets and using just about anything they can find as a net. There have been plenty of trick shots attempted (try hitting a ball over the roof, running through the house and catching it on the other side) and impressive skills showcased (racket juggling, anyone?). Players have responded in droves to both Federer’s challenge as well as Andy Murray’s, where the three-time major champion and his wife Kim successfully hit 100 consecutive volleys.

After decades of net play on the decline, could it be that “tennis at home” and the lack of groundstroke-friendly options collectively spark a resurgence? The influx of volley-centric videos from players and fans caused the ATP to declare “It’s volley season!” while former player and tennis commentator Robbie Koenig joked on Twitter that the serve-and-volley might make a comeback.

Those looking to stockpile tips to fine-tune their newfound net games are in luck. With no lessons to teach, club pros are generously sharing instruction online. Ryan Harry, the head pro at the Hall of Fame Tennis Club in Newport, R.I., launched a video series with a touch volley drill using crumpled up paper towels as a ball.

“I hope this period of time shows players how little we actually need in terms of space and equipment to sharpen our skills,” Harry says.

Former coach Brad Gilbert, meanwhile, launched an easy-to-follow video series of quarantine tennis tips—a.k.a. Q-Tips—in hopes of helping the tennis community think outside the box, inside the house.

“Right now, whatever you can do to stay active mentally and physically will help [when tennis returns],” says the 58-year-old ESPN analyst, who is spending his downtime taking early-morning walks, pumping out around 500 pushups a day and using just about any wall he can find for some volley practice.

“For those working from home, the worst thing you can do is not do anything. Even if you just swing the racquet and hold the racquet, it will seem a lot less foreign when you get back on the court.”

But, as anyone who has played the game knows, hitting the ball is only half the battle. With workout routines disrupted and gyms closed, plenty of players, including Venus Williams, Elina Svitolina and Robert Farah, have used their digital platforms to help the rest of us avoid shacking up with unwanted extra pounds.

“I’ve been doing a lot of runs lately,” Los Angeles-based Grigor Dimitrov told Williams during an Instagram Live workout. “I’m doing a lot of shoulder [injury] prevention exercises and working on little specific drills to keep my feet activated.”

Adults with social-media accounts aren’t the only ones enjoying the familiar comforts of the tennis community. The USTA is providing tennis and educational activities for the tiniest players via their Net Generation program, as well as exercise videos featuring American stars like Sloane Stephens, Madison Keys and Bob and Mike Bryan.

Net Generation’s lightweight, transportable nets are also coming in handy for many parents looking to keep children active and entertained. It’s something Nikki and Jay McCareins know all too well. Their daughters Jayden, 9, and Jazmine, 5, rally in the backyard as well as the garage, where they have the benefit of a mini court measured out on the ground with masking tape.

“The two of them can play back and forth and amuse themselves for an hour with limited equipment,” mom Nikki says. “That’s something you don’t have with a lot of other sports, and it’s really been a blessing for us.”

Courtesy Nikki and Jay McCareins

At the beginning of March, few could have imagined the unprecedented path that lay ahead. With so many suffering from sickness and economic hardship, the “tennis at home” movement has proven to be a creative distraction with encouraging long-term implications. Imaginative workouts, hand-eye improvement challenges and Federer-approved backboard drills picked up now may be used well down the road, even after playing solo becomes more novelty than necessity.

In some cases, that time could come sooner rather than later. On April 22, the USTA released a new statement—Playing Tennis Safely: Player Tips and Recommendations.

“The USTA recognizes that the coronavirus has been affecting different parts of the country in different ways and with different timing,” the statement reads. “We therefore believe it will be possible for people to return to playing tennis safely in some cities and states sooner than in others.”

For those who can play, perhaps the greatest improvement they’ll realize won’t be physical at all. Dimitrov summed up what may be as much a life lesson as a tennis lesson during his socially distanced workout with Williams.

“At the end of the day, you’ve got to make the most out of it and try to focus on all the positivity,” he said. “We’re all in this together, and I think it’s just going to make us stronger and look at things a little bit different.”