The Greek tennis player Maria Sakkari is a fitness maniac who was featured in S1 E3 of the Netflix docuseries “Break Point.” I am in the midst of breaking down the training techniques seen in a montage of her insane off-court training videos used on the show. Get used to this disclaimer over the next few weeks: Sakkari is apparently Greek for “please do not try any of this without first consulting your doctor and also make sure you are working with a well-qualified personal trainer.”
During that montage, Sakkari is shown performing squats with a heavily weighted barbell while standing on a Bosu Ball. I am a big fan of that particular balance trainer and even wrote a dedicated post on the device in May 2022. Squats most certainly have a place in every tennis player’s off-court training regimen. However, the risk of injury from what she is doing seems to outweigh any apparent benefit.
Tennis strokes require getting to the ball with balance and stability. The Bosu Ball provides a little wobble to many exercises that enhances core strength and balance. Standing on a Bosu ball theoretically transforms many weight-bearing exercises into better approximations of tennis-specific movements.
Philosophically, I tend to lean toward lighter weights with more reps in my training. That approach emphasizes muscular endurance and fatigue resistance. That translates into improved on-court stamina for tennis players. In contrast, the case for using heavier weights with low reps is that it is good for developing higher strength and explosive power. That can also be beneficial for tennis performance.
Later in that same montage, Sakkari is also depicted performing squats with an even heavier weighted barbell, but absent the Bosu Ball. I don’t plan on writing a post specifically about that exercise as I feel like heavily weighted squats have already been adequately explored.
When I train for explosive power, I tend to favor functional actions that translate directly to a quick first step. I don’t see any return on investment from squatting weights like a Left Tackle. I have yet to find on-court tennis situations that require enough leg strength to move a parked car. I will let you know if that ever changes.
Consequently, if you are going to do squats on a Bosu Ball, I recommend performing that action using two dumbbells that are lighter than what you would ordinarily use on solid ground. This is one of those cases where more weight might not be worth the risk.
I am definitely not throwing shade at Maria Sakkari’s fitness training. Her physique is unparalleled in women’s tennis, and it is clearly enhancing her on-court performance. There are just a lot of things that she does that are probably not a good idea for the rest of us.
