I maybe hit a tennis ball a handful of times as a teenager but started playing regularly around 20 years old give or take a year. I am now 66 so over 46 years of playing. I think I improved the most in the first 10 years and went from beginner to winning USTA 4.5 player and played 1 year at USTA 5.0 level but only won about 25% of the matches. I think I maintained my level until around 40-45 years old and then I think my level dropped a bit. I felt like my technique improved until around 60 years old but my speed, reflexes, stamina and power started decreasing around 50 years old. In the first 10 years, I played a lot of tennis - probably average 6 days a week on court for 10 months of the year and 3 or 4 days on court in the winter.
I think if you were pretty high level when you where young - say under 35, it is more difficult to improve. But, if you are a beginner at 50, then you can probably improve to around 60.
At 66, I still work on technique and improving but honestly, it is more about maintaining now. I think my athleticism dropped in my early 60s even though I work a lot on staying reasonably fit. I can usually hold my own against guys my age and even much younger players but I lose to young guys in singles now that I would have beaten regularly 10 years ago.
I think if you were pretty high level when you where young - say under 35, it is more difficult to improve. But, if you are a beginner at 50, then you can probably improve to around 60.
At 66, I still work on technique and improving but honestly, it is more about maintaining now. I think my athleticism dropped in my early 60s even though I work a lot on staying reasonably fit. I can usually hold my own against guys my age and even much younger players but I lose to young guys in singles now that I would have beaten regularly 10 years ago.