Anthropometric and Physical Profile Among the Different Age Groups of Tunisian Tennis Players

Abstract

Background:  The popularity of Tunisian tennis is on the rise, due to emerging players gaining global recognition, leading to growth and evolution in the sport. In order to optimize training and performance, coaches need valuable information on physical fitness and player profiling. Objectives:  The study aimed to investigate the physical profile of Tunisian tennis players in different age groups ranging from 7 to 17 years. Methods:  One hundred and one tennis players from the same team were assigned to six age groups (U9-U18); U9 (7.89 ± 0.32), U10 (8.88 ± 0.34), U11 (9.78 ± 0.43), U12 (10.81 ± 0.4), U14 (12.3 ± 0.73), and U18 (14.69 ± 0.95) and were assessed for standing long jump (SLJ), countermovement jump, medicine ball throw (MBT), various sprint distances, agility drills, 20m Shuttle run (20mSRT), and Sit and reach tests. Results:  The results showed that U14 and U18 age groups demonstrated better performance than U9 and U10 in jump tests, while U18 and U14 outperformed only U9 in the MBT test. U11 showed better performance than U9 and U10 in sprints, sideways shuffle, and spider drill tests. U9 and U10 had lower performance than U12 in SLJ, 20m sprint, sideways shuffle, and zigzag tests, and U11 outperformed U9 in the SLJ test. U18 and U14 had higher VO₂max than U10 and U11, while U12 was higher than U11 only. No difference in flexibility was reported. The centile estimates of physical performances among Tunisian tennis players provide a means to compare individual player test results with the standard performance levels of the group. Conclusions:  In conclusion, this study found that 11–17-year-old players exhibited greater physical performance than 7–10-year-old players. However, no age effect was found for flexibility.