International Journal of Racket Sports Science

Is clay court the best tennis surface? A narrative review

2025-08-20T04:06:54+00:00

This paper aims to demonstrate that clay courts are likely the most suitable playing surfaces in terms of muscle contraction, efficiency and the reduction of risk factors associated with the viscoelastic and frictional properties of the surfaces themselves. The style of play, with more or less frequent accelerations, decelerations and changes of direction, the duration of the match and the frequent tournaments on different playing surfaces can be additional risk factors. In fact, it has been shown that muscles are sensitive to surface stiffness and that frequent playing on different surfaces can be associated with lower limb injuries. Furthermore the busy calendar of ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) and WTA (Women's Tennis Association) is stigmatised because it is characterized by the sudden transition from hard to clay and/or clay to grass without the necessary gradualness, thus preventing proper motor adaptation. The aims of this work emerge from literature and from a biomechanical-theoretical analysis of the loads that result in the musculoskeletal system by human and playing surface interaction.

Tennis Doubles development: Two historical snapshots of tactical changes on professional level over 20 years

2025-08-20T04:06:53+00:00

We aimed to compare tactical characteristics in professional men´s tennis doubles by notational analysis of two historical samples of matches collected at least 20 years apart. Samples were taken either between 1985 and 1990 (D_<1990: 57 matches, 9.305 points, 34.428 strokes) or in 2011 (D_>2010: 8 matches, 1.002 points, 4.297 strokes) during official ATP tournaments. Players were internationally ranked (D_<1990: 76 ± 89; D_>2010: 102 ± 91) and all matches were played on clay courts following ITF rules. Notational analysis was done by tagging video recordings following the same self-programmed notation software model. Absolute and percentage numbers of stroke rates, winners, and errors as well as specific tactics for services (e. g. Serve & Volley), returns (e. g. Chip & Charge), volleys and groundstrokes (e. g. positioning) were analysed. Coding was done by two experienced tennis coaches. Interrater reliability was calculated by Cohen ́s Kappa and items with r < 0.9 were excluded. Differences between D_<1990 and D_>2010 were calculated by independent t-tests. Significance level was set at p<0.05. Rally length (3.7±0.3 vs. 4.2±0.5 strokes per point, p<0.001) increased significantly from D_<1990 to D_>2010. The percentage of serves (32.5±3.9 vs. 23.8±3.5 %) and volleys (25.1±4.0 vs. 17.3±5.7 %) decreased while the percentage of groundstrokes increased over time (8.8±3.6 vs. 26.9±7.0 %) (p<0.001). Serve & Volley application was reduced to one third in D_>2010 (98.7±2.0 % vs 33.9±33.4 %) with a high individual variation. Positioning of Returns (more often behind the baseline) and volleys (shorter distance to the net) changed in D_>2010 (p<0.001). Tactical characteristics in men´s tennis doubles completely changed within a time frame of 20 years mainly attributed to a decreased Serve & Volley application from most but not from all double players. The current variability in technical and tactical demands must be considered by individualized coaching guidelines.

Sliding benchmarks might prevent de-selection of talented badminton players

2025-08-20T04:06:56+00:00

Despite potential advantages of talent identification practices, the degree of bias in decision-making due to relative age and maturity timing remains a concern. To investigate the impact of relative age and maturity on selection processes, and to examine the possible influence of an intervention aimed at minimizing the impact of relative age and maturity biases, thirty-three boys (M_age = 12.43y ± 0.36y) invited to compete for Badminton Malaysia, completed three anthropometrical measures, eight physical performance assessments, and five motor coordination tests. These players were tracked throughout their career to determine pathway progression (i.e., dropout or continuation) and their level of success (i.e., season-end rankings). With regards to the relative age of athletes and the initial selection to the U13 team, findings revealed that younger and less mature players were disadvantaged, since their morphology, physical fitness, and motor capacities were less developed than their peers. A sliding benchmark intervention was applied, where raw scores were adjusted. Although, the dropout rate from the U13 team was high (24/33 players, 73%), 6 of 9 remaining players of the national team achieved exceptional results, which were evident six years later. As a result of the sliding benchmark intervention, two relatively younger, late maturers with superior motor competence scores, were selected to the elite sport school. Without this intervention, both players might never have won the U21 World Championships. This paper examines the pathway of these competitive badminton athletes and discusses the potential value of applying a sliding benchmark intervention in competitive sport selection settings.

Lower limb landing mechanics of scissor-kick jumps in elite badminton players

2025-08-20T04:06:48+00:00

Scissor-kick jumps are frequently employed by elite badminton players when performing forehand jump strokes from the rear court forehand side. The joint loads experienced during the landing phase may contribute to the high number of lower limb injuries, yet our understanding of these loads is limited. This exploratory study comprehensively evaluates the lower limb joint mechanics during scissor-kick jump landings in elite male badminton players. Ten Danish national male players performed three variations of the scissor-kick jump in a biomechanical laboratory: submaximal jumps from a static position, maximal jumps from a static position, and jumps with game-like backward chassé steps. We recorded the landing 3-dimensional joint kinematics and kinetics of the racket-leg using a 10-camera motion capture system and a force platform. Our analysis using statistical parametric mapping one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed no significant differences in the hip, knee, and ankle joint angles, moments, and power waveforms during the landing phase across the three jump variations. Indicating that elite male badminton players landing mechanics are not altered by increased jump height or the inclusion of preceding game-like footwork. We observed that the triceps surae muscles absorb 41% of the total eccentric joint work during the landing phase, indicating their crucial role in managing landing impacts. Additionally, the initial landing phase is characterized by high external knee and hip extensor and adductor moments. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating exercises targeting the triceps surae muscles and Achilles tendons in badminton-specific training programs to prepare players for the high eccentric loads during scissor-kick jump landings. The high hip, knee and ankle joint loads identified in this study may contribute to the high incidence of lower limb injuries in elite badminton.

Tournament Design in Doubles Pickleball

2025-07-23T11:52:06+00:00

This paper considers a common tournament design in doubles pickleball where N players compete across n matches. The research question involves the assignment of partners and opponents over the n matches. It is demonstrated that a particular design for the practical tournament corresponding to N=16 and n=5 has the desirable property that each player will either compete with or against every other player exactly once. Commentary is provided for other choices of N and n.

Quantifying and Predicting Momentum in Tennis Match via Machine Learning Approach

2025-07-25T09:07:38+00:00

This study aims to identify and analyze momentum shifts in tennis, developing a data-driven model to quantify and predict these shifts and assess their influence on match outcomes. Using data from 6 tournaments, including 564 matches and over 135,000 points, this study constructed a momentum calculation model integrating 14 weighted match factors such as point progression, server advantage, and player ranking differences. The model incorporates adjustments for set discontinuities and initial momentum based on player rankings to enhance predictive accuracy. Following data processing and validation, a Kappa consistency test was performed on the 2023 Wimbledon Championship data, yielding a high alignment with actual outcomes (Kappa = 0.96). Using a Gradient Boosting Decision Tree (GBDT) regression model, the study achieved a high accuracy in predicting momentum shifts, identifying key variables such as serve advantage and score gaps as primary indicators of performance dynamics. This model further revealed that players' momentum tends to stabilize at critical points, such as 40:30, while fluctuating more at disadvantageous scores. These findings highlight the model's utility for pre-match analysis, enabling detailed insights into opponents' tactical patterns and psychological responses under varying score conditions. Overall, this momentum model provides valuable applications for enhancing player preparation and in-game strategic adjustments, offering coaches and players a quantifiable tool to interpret and influence match outcomes.