CORRELATION BETWEEN SHOT QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS AND ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS IN ELITE TENNIS PLAYERS ON DIFFERENT COURT SURFACES

Abstract

Aim. This paper aims to identify the correlation between shot quality characteristics and anthropometric measurements of elite tennis players during matches on different court surfaces. Materials and methods. Shot quality characteristics (consistency, activity, effective activity, realized activity, and efficiency) were recorded using an informative system for computer-assisted recording of tennis shots, which allows each action to be tracked during a match. Shots from the top 16 players at the Australian Open (hard court) and French Open (clay court) were recorded. Anthropometric measurements of body height and body weight were taken from the official Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) website and used to calculate body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) and weight-to-height ratio (WH, g/cm). Results. The study demonstrated anthropometric differences among tennis players who reached the 1/8 finals of Grand Slam tournaments held on different court surfaces. Shot quality characteristics during matches on different surfaces showed different correlations with the players’ anthropometric measurements. Conclusion. Mean values of shot quality characteristics and anthropometric measurements were determined for tennis players who took part in two Grand Slam tournaments held on different court surfaces (hard and clay courts). Correlations between shot quality characteristics and anthropometric measurements were identified for each court surface, as well as correlations among these parameters themselves.