Yes.
Most people who played before can get back to DOUBLES tennis or pickleball after a knee or hip replacement, usually somewhere between 3 and 6 months after surgery, once their surgeon clears them.
In a large group of joint replacement patients, about 7 in 10 who had played racket sports in the two years before surgery went back to playing. Most were back within 6 months, at about the same level. Over the next few years, they didn’t need any more repeat operations than those who stopped.
Singles is where opinion splits – your surgeon’s advice always comes first. If they give you different rules, use theirs.
What surgeons commonly allow
- Doubles: widely accepted for people who played before surgery. You cover half the court, with fewer sprints and sudden stops
- Singles: surgeons are divided. Some allow it for experienced players with a joint that’s working well. Others advise against it, because singles means more running, lunging and hard stops
- Pickleball: the court is smaller and it’s usually played as doubles, so many surgeons see it as gentler than tennis. It still involves quick starts, stops and lunges
- Taking up a new sport: surgeons are generally more cautious about starting a demanding sport for the first time after surgery. If you’re new to pickleball, talk to your surgeon first and start with lessons and gentle games
How long before I can play?
- Weeks 0 to 6: walking, your home exercises and, when allowed, an exercise bike. See knee replacement recovery week by week and hip replacement recovery week by week
- Weeks 6 to 12: building strength and balance. Side-stepping, lunges and practicing strokes without running, if your physio agrees. Cycling is a good way to build fitness in this stretch. See cycling after knee or hip replacement
- Months 3 to 6: many people return to doubles in this window, with surgeon clearance. Some hospitals advise waiting until 6 months for racket sports after a hip replacement
- Up to a year: for the joint to feel as good as it’s going to get
Doubles on a new joint is a sensible goal. Chasing every ball in singles is a conversation to have with your surgeon.
Are you ready? A quick check
- Walking: brisk walking without a limp
- Balance: standing steadily on your operated leg
- Movement: lunges, split squats and side-steps without pain
- Swelling: no swelling in the joint the day after exercise
- Clearance: your surgeon has said yes
Shoes, courts and how you play
- Court shoes, not running shoes. Running shoes are built for moving forward. Court shoes support your foot when you move side to side, and good tread helps you stay on your feet
- Think about the surface. Hard courts give little cushioning. Softer courts are easier on impact but let your feet slide, and sliding adds twist through the joint. Choose the one you can move on with control
- Warm up first. Easy movement, side-steps and practice swings before you play, and stretches afterward
- Let the ball go. Don’t dive, and don’t run backwards for high balls. Backpedaling is an easy way to fall
- Build up slowly. Short games, a day off between sessions at first, then add time
After a hip replacement, deep lunges and twisting on a planted foot can put the new joint at risk early on. Ask when your precautions end. See hip replacement precautions.
Will it wear out my new joint?
- Every implant wears a little. The plastic liner wears with normal use, and too much activity or extra weight may speed that up
- Impact is the main concern. Running and jumping load the joint far more than steady doubles
- The short-term news is reassuring. Racket players who went back didn’t need more repeat surgery over the first few years
- The long-term picture is less clear. There’s little data on what decades of play do to a modern implant, which is partly why surgeons disagree about singles
- Keeping fit and a healthy weight protects the joint too
Go to the emergency department if
- You fall and can’t put weight on the leg
- Your new hip is suddenly very painful, or your leg looks shorter or turned out
- You have sudden pain or swelling in your calf, chest pain or sudden shortness of breath
Call your surgeon today if
- You felt a clunk followed by pain, or the joint suddenly feels unstable
- The joint is hot and swollen and you have a fever
Mention it at your next review if
- The joint aches for more than a day after you play
- It swells after games and doesn’t settle overnight
- A joint that’s been comfortable for years starts to ache, click or feel loose
Doubles is the sensible target. Singles is a decision to make with your surgeon, not on the court.