Photo: Instagram @gibbsyyyy Credit: Matthew Scott.
It’s common to hear that professional surfers turn to other sports for cross-training, but it’s rare that a mainstream professional athlete turns to surfing for cross-training. However, that’s exactly the case when it comes to 23-year-old professional tennis player, Nicole Gibbs. The rising WTA star uses surfing and beach training to help her prepare for the tricky, clay court terrain at events like the French Open.
The 2x NCAA tennis champion graduated from Stanford University as well as Crossroads School in Santa Monica, and she is now based in Los Angeles. Maybe her California roots are what drew her to surfing. Her boyfriend, Jack Brody, introduced her to the sport when she was a sophomore at Stanford, and she has taken to the water ever since. Her Instagram is even filled with surf photos, and she doesn’t just paddle out at Manhattan Beach. She’s surfing Trestles, San O, Waikiki, and Costa Rica. Not bad for a tennis pro. Plus, she recently joined the athlete roster for Kelly Slater’s organic beverage company, Purps.
Gibbs in Costa Rica. Photo: Instagram @gibbsyyyy
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Gibbs explained that surfing actually helps improve her game. “Surfing is a great yin to the yang of training,” she says. “It not only helps me physically, but also emotionally and mentally. It’s a great reset.” As surfers we can definitely all relate to that feeling. After all, there is no better way to decompress than paddling out for a few waves.
Gibbs also explained to WSJ that surfing has helped heal and eliminate injuries she’s struggled with in the past. Surfing has helped her build muscles to counter a chronic abdominal injury, caused by Gibbs’ powerful serve. “The core strength I’ve built through surfing has helped strengthen my body so it doesn’t break down during tournaments,” she says. “I’m much more resilient on the court.”
Beyond her nagging abdominal injury, surfing has also helped counter damage all tennis players struggle with. By developing stronger muscles in her back and shoulders through paddling, she says she’s been able to, “fight wear and tear on my rotator cuffs.”
However, most specifically, training in the water and on the sand have helped Gibbs adapt to the challenges of playing on a clay court. Unlike a hard court, where it’s relatively easy to change directions at a rapid speed, on clay you slide. You cannot just turn on a dime. This type of environment demands core strength for stability even when you’re slipping all over the court. While nothing can completely mimic the qualities of clay, sand does a pretty good job. With added resistance and decreased stability, sand training has allowed Gibbs to find success. She’s steadily climbed up the ranking since making her professional debut back in 2013.
This week, she is competed in the Nürnberger Versicherungscup, where she locked in her first clay court match win of the season. She’s scheduled to compete in the French Open in Paris this coming weekend as well. I have no doubt that her time in the water will serve her well on the clay, and she’ll come home with her best clay court result yet. Good luck, Nicole, we’ll see you in the water!
