Serving for Success: Anyone for Tennis?

The phrase "Anyone for tennis?" may have entered popular parlance 100 years ago but today the sport is played by super-fit athletes.The modern professional is a hard-hitting powerhouse - strong, quick and agile.

His doping and lying aside, Lance Armstrong was a disciplined, gifted athlete who made the best that science and technology could offer to elevate his cycling.  He seemed to have set the standard for rigorous training and sophisticated preparations for such grueling competitions as the three-week Tour de France.  So it has become for tennis, too.  The royal air and polite environs of Centre Court at Wimbledon, notwithstanding, what apparently lies beneath each tennis player is a well-oiled machine effectively deployed as a competitive weapon.

Each BBC episode of Serving for Success is accompanied by an article that elaborates and expands on points covered:

But when asked to describe a perfect tennis body, [Matt] Little [strength and conditioning coach for Andy Murray] had to choose characteristics from a selection of today's stars.

"You need the incredible strength of Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray," he suggests.  "The balance of Roger Federer, the endurance of David Ferrer, the power of Serena Williams, the flexibility of Novak Djokovic and the fun of Gael Monfils."

Even at the top of the tennis tree, it seems no body is perfect.

Reference: Serving for Success: Anyone for Tennis?    

This is definitely the Age of the Super Athlete.