Performance models of ladies’ and men’s singles tennis at the Australian Open

Abstract

The purpose of the current investigation was to produce models of tennis performance for ladies’ and men’s singles that related the overall performance goal (winning the match) to relevant aspects of tennis strategy. Match data from 83 ladies’ singles matches and 82 men’s singles matches was obtained from the official Australian Open web site. Break points won was the variable that most distinguished between the winning and losing player in both ladies' (t82 22.9, P < 0.001) and men’s singles (t81 = 15.2, P < 0.001). The number of break points won was strongly associated with the number of points won when serving which is functionally dependent on the proportion of first and second serves that are in as well as the proportion of points won when first and second serves are in. Correlation analysis revealed that service speed had an indirect influence on the proportion of points that were won on first and second serve in both singles games. In ladies' singles aces and net ability was related to effectiveness in points emanating from first serve where as winner to unforced error ratio was a determinant of effectiveness on second serve points. In men’s singles, effectiveness in points emanating from first serve was influenced by aces, winner to unforced error ratio, net approaches and ability at the net. Success in points emanating from the second serve in men’s singles was influenced by winner to unforced error ration as well as ability at the net.