Cooling Down
After a match or practice tennis session, don’t just finish the last point, walk off the court, and get in a car to go home. Take a few minutes to cool down. It reduces the risk of blood pooling in your legs, avoids the risk of a sudden drop in blood pressure, and allows your pulse rate to begin returning to normal in a controlled manner. One suggestion is to cool down until your pulse rate drops below 100 beats per minute. Your level of fitness is improving if your recovery time is declining.
If you’ve been hitting during a tennis practice session, take a few minutes to pick up the balls, or walk around the perimeter of the doubles court for five minutes. Put a warm-up suit on (or at least a jacket) for a few minutes, even if the weather is hot. Try to minimize abrupt changes in your body temperature.
Next, take a few minutes to go through some static stretches—the same kind you used in the past before matches. There is evidence that static stretching increases the subsequent range of motion. Include stretches for the upper body, trunk, and legs.
Tennis: Steps to Success Jim Brown,Camille Soulier