TRAINER Pat Etcheberry, M.S.

To read about his training philosophy, visit etcheberryexperience.com

PLAYERS HE HAS TRAINED Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Monica Seles, Gabriela Sabatini, Justine Henin-Hardenne

TIP NO. 1

Practice hoisting the trophy. Seriously, this works the muscles in your shoulders and upper back—which you need for power serves and overheads — and they just happen to be the same muscles required to raise a heavy trophy overhead. To mimic this move, tie an elastic Thera-Band around a post. Hold the band with both hands, bend your knees slightly, and pull your hands straight up overhead. Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat 15 times. The band should be taut the whole time.

TIP NO. 2

Hit with a potato chip in your mouth. “If you’re tense, it affects your stroke,” Etcheberry says. One of his more unorthodox relaxation drills: Play a point with a potato chip in your mouth. The object is to not crush the chip. “This drill makes it obvious when you’re tensing up in your neck and face,” he says.

TRAINER Giselle Tirado, A.T.C.

A massage therapist who currently works with the Australian Fed Cup team

PLAYERS SHE HAS TRAINED

Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario, Martina Navratilova, Jennifer Capriati, Samantha Stosur

TIP NO. 1

Ride a bike. During the off-season, Tirado puts her athletes through the rigors of spinning. “We do 30 to 40 minutes of interval cycling with the music cranked up, doing seated and standing sprints,” she says. “It’s a great combination of endurance and power.” Bonus: It’s low-impact.

TIP NO. 2

Go to the beach. Not for vacation, mind you. It’s time to build your anaerobic fitness with run-swim-run sprints. “Run 50 meters to the water, swim out 50 meters, and then run back to where you started,” Tirado says. Rest and repeat. Complete five to 10 sets.

TRAINER Mark Verstegen M.S., C.S.C.S., founder of the online training site coreperformance.com

PLAYERS HE HAS TRAINED

Mary Pierce, Meghann Shaughnessy; Verstegen also works with the USTA

TIP NO. 1

Don’t skip your hips. One hip-strengthening move Verstegen recommends is a standing single-leg external rotation. (1) Stand in an athletic-base position with an elastic miniband above your knees. (2) Keeping your left leg stationary, move your right knee in and out 10 times. Switch legs and repeat. Keep both feet flat on the ground and your pelvis stable. Increase repetitions as you get stronger.

TIP NO. 2

Give yourself a foot rub. Before playing, Verstegen encourages his players to sit down, remove their shoes, and massage the soles of their feet for two minutes with a tennis ball. “It loosens the fascia, which improves balance and prevents foot fatigue,” he says.

TRAINER Kerrie Brooks M.P.T., A.T.C.

PLAYERS SHE TRAINS

Venus and Serena Williams

TIP NO. 1

Move before your match. “Warm muscles are more responsive than cold ones,” Brooks says. She has the Williamses jog for 15 to 20 minutes before matches and do some dynamic tennis-specific moves like lunges, squats, and shoulder circles before they step on the court.

TIP NO. 2

Snack 30 minutes after a match. “You need to refuel your body as soon as possible if you want to have enough to give the following day,” Brooks says. “Eat a small carbohydrate-rich snack within 30 minutes to help with recovery,” she says. It doesn’t have to be a sit-down meal, just 200 to 300 calories. “Eating some nuts, a banana, or a bagel with some peanut butter or cream cheese, plus some Gatorade, will help you not feel sluggish the next day.

TRAINER Doug Spreen A.T.C.

PLAYER HE TRAINS

Andy Roddick

TIP NO. 1

Head for the hills. “Running hills builds incredible leg strength,” Spreen says. In the off-season, he and Roddick like to run the hills around Austin, Texas. Spreen mixes up the distances, sprinting up hills ranging from 50 to 200 meters, followed by a walk back down before running up again. Running uphill forces you to work harder than you will on the court, he says. “It trains your body to the rhythm of playing a tough point, resting for a short period, and then doing it all over again,” Spreen says.

TIP NO. 2

Cool down actively. “As soon as you’re done playing, stretch your whole body,” Spreen says. “Don’t just flop down in a chair.” Hold each stretch for 15 to 30 seconds. Then either hop on a bike and ride for 15 minutes, go for an easy jog, or, best of all, get in a swimming pool and just move around. “This helps your muscles cool down, which will prevent some soreness the next day, crucial if you have to play again,” Spreen says.