As is true with many conditions, certain people in various occupations are more susceptible to developing the symptoms. For example; people who are actively involved in fishing, butchering, long-term computer use, plumbing, repeated screwdriver use, waiting, guitar playing, painting, and carpentry have been all shown to develop this ailment. Tennis elbow can affect anyone but has been found to occur more frequently in people who suddenly begin tasks that involve using muscle groups that they are not accustomed to using. There also seems to be a higher rate of occurrence in people aged 30-50 years old.

The development of tennis elbow can be difficult to identify and pain is often one of the first symptoms. Tennis elbow typically develops slowly and people suffering from the condition often cannot remember any specific injury. As mentioned before, the pain is located on the outer portion of the elbow and is often described as sharp and burning. Besides the development of pain, people suffering from tennis elbow often gradually begin to notice the development of weakness in the hand of the affected arm. Weak grip strength is usually noticed when shaking hands, turning a screwdriver, holding a coffee cup, opening doors, or holding gardening tools. People may also notice that they drop objects more frequently as the condition progresses.