Julia Mautner talks Tennis
- Ihr Praxis Team ACH
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
On Tennis, Injuries, and Becoming a Chiropractor: A Conversation with Julia Mautner
If you've ever been treated by Julia Mautner at American Chiropractic Haus, you know how passionate she is about helping people move better and stay active. What many patients don't realise is that long before she became a chiropractor, she spent years on the tennis court – first as a player, and now as a coach.
We sat down with Julia to talk about her journey through tennis, what the sport taught her, and how it still shapes the way she practises chiropractic today.
Let’s start at the beginning. How old were you when you first picked up a tennis racket? What are some of your major milestones?
Julia Mautner: Both of my parents were tennis coaches, so I essentially grew up on the court and have been playing since I could walk. I started competing at the age of eight and have played tournaments at a high level ever since. Among my biggest milestones were playing college tennis in the NCAA in the US and competing in the 2nd Bundesliga here in Munich.
What was it about tennis that hooked you?
Julia Mautner: What hooked me is that a tennis match is never over until the last point is played. No matter how far behind you are, there's always a chance to come back. That taught me early on to never give up and to keep fighting to the very end. I also love how complex the sport is: it combines physical fitness, speed, endurance, coordination, technique, tactics and mental toughness all at once, which makes tennis one of the most demanding and rewarding sports there is.
For people who have never played competitively, what does a typical training week actually look like?
Julia Mautner: Monday is usually my rest and recovery day. From Tuesday through Saturday, though, I'm on the court almost every day practising tennis. On several of those days I add fitness training focused on strength, speed, mobility and injury prevention. Weekends are mostly dedicated to competition, either tournaments or league matches.
Did you have many injuries over the course of your tennis career?
Julia Mautner: I was fortunate to avoid any major injuries. During my teenage years, however, I dealt with recurring muscular issues – many of them related to growth and the demands of competitive tennis. The advice I usually got was simply to rest and play less, which wasn't an option for me at the time. Chiropractic was the only thing that genuinely helped me stay on the court, and that experience ultimately sparked my interest in the profession and led me to pursue it as a career.
Do you see any parallels between coaching and working as a chiropractor?
Julia Mautner: Absolutely. In both coaching and chiropractic, my goal is to help people perform at their best and reach their potential.
Whether it's an athlete trying to improve their game or a patient trying to move and feel better, success comes from understanding the individual, identifying what's holding them back, and building a plan that helps them get where they want to be.
Many athletes go on to coach, but few combine that knowledge with medical expertise. How have playing and coaching tennis shaped the way you practise chiropractic and approach injuries?
Julia Mautner: Tennis and coaching taught me to look beyond the injury itself and consider the person as a whole. As an athlete, I know how frustrating it is when an injury keeps you from what you love. So I try to understand not only what is causing the pain, but also what the patient is trying to get back to. My goal is always to help people recover, stay active, and return to the things they enjoy as safely and efficiently as possible.
What has coaching taught you about people and their recovery from injury?
Julia Mautner: Coaching has shown me that everyone responds differently to training and recovery. Two athletes can have the exact same injury, yet their mindset, goals and approach to rehabilitation can be completely different. It's taught me how important it is to listen, to adapt the plan to the individual, and to help people stay patient and consistent.
What are the most common mistakes recreational athletes make when it comes to injuries?
Julia Mautner: One of the most common mistakes is waiting too long and hoping a problem will simply go away on its own. Another is doing either too much or too little – some athletes try to push through pain, while others stop all activity completely. In most cases, the best approach is to identify the cause early, make the right modifications, and stay as active as possible throughout recovery.
And for the tennis players reading this – what problems do you see most often?
Julia Mautner: In tennis players I mostly see overuse issues rather than acute injuries. Shoulder problems, elbow pain such as tennis elbow, lower-back pain and knee issues are all very common, because tennis loads the body repetitively and demands thousands of similar movements over a season. Many of these problems develop gradually, which is exactly why paying attention to small warning signs early can make a huge difference.
If you could give one piece of advice to a young tennis player who dreams of competing at a high level, what would it be?
Julia Mautner: Enjoy the journey, and don't give up when things don't go your way. Every tennis player, no matter how successful, faces losses, setbacks, injuries and stretches where they feel stuck.
The players who go furthest are often not the most talented, but the ones who keep showing up, keep working, and keep believing in themselves when things get hard.
About Julia Mautner:
Julia Mautner was born in Munich, travelled to the USA for her chiropractic education, and returned to Munich in 2026 to combine her love of tennis with her expertise in sports chiropractic at American Chiropractic Haus. She is currently balancing her work as a chiropractor with completing her tennis B coaching licence, which she expects to obtain before 2027. To learn more about Julia Mautner, see her CV here.
