Between 10 and 15 April, we supported the Slovenian Women’s National Tennis Team in cooperation with the Slovenian Tennis Federation. In Koper, the girls won the qualifying final and qualified as one of the top 12 teams in the world for the final tournament of the Billie Jean King World Cup. Congratulations!
Throughout the week of preparation and during the matches, our therapy tables were at the disposal of the Slovenian and Romanian national teams, both at the Bonifika, where the competition took place, and at the hotel where they were staying.
We spoke to Anže Kunavar, the official sports therapist of the Slovenian national team, about the importance of physiotherapy treatment for female athletes. He works at the Sport & rehab centre by Kuna and is also a fitness and rehabilitation coach at NK Domžale.
He works with some of the athletes throughout the year, while with others only temporarily. He gave us an insight into how a day of such intensive preparation goes and what his role is.
The therapist accompanies the athletes throughout the day so he can easily identify what their needs are. These can change on a daily basis. Before training, they come to see him, especially if they have a problem. For example, the therapist performs laser treatments or applies kineo tapes, or, if necessary, warms up a particular muscle.
The most important part of his work takes place after the training sessions in the afternoon and evening. That’s when the athletes rest and receive physio treatments. If they don’t have specific problems, these are mainly preventive treatments to shake off the weight of the day and prepare them for the next day’s work. It is necessary to relax the muscles throughout the entire body and speed up their blood circulation.
Anže performed his treatments on the therapy table S8. Its 4-part lying surface features a three-part head section and side wings in the back section. The electric table meets the needs of even the most demanding treatments. “The eight-section table I treated our athletes on was incredible. It’s stable and, above all, it allows tilts of different sections, which makes it easier for me to achieve muscle relaxation. For example, when treating the lateral thigh muscles, just by positioning the table and lifting its middle part, I can relieve the hip muscles completely,” he said about his experience of working on the table.
We are excited that our therapy tables have also been part of the success story of the Slovenian tennis team. Congratulations to the girls and the whole team and we wish them success in the finals!
Photos by Vid Ponikvar, Sportida
