Effects of Combined Cognitive-Motor Training on Agility, Decision-Making, and Match Performance in Competitive Tennis Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Muhammad Ali; Fadli Ihsan; Ugi Nugraha; Ilham; Zhanneta Kozina; Bekir Erhan ORHAN

Authors

Muhammad Ali Department of Physical Education and Health, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Jambi, Muaro Jambi, Indonesia Corresponding Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1970-816X
Fadli Ihsan Department of Sports Coaching Education, Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Sleman, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1970-816X
Ugi Nugraha Department of Physical Education and Health, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Jambi, Muaro Jambi, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8555-7470
Ilham Department of Physical Education and Health, Faculty of Teacher Training and Education, Universitas Jambi, Muaro Jambi, Indonesia Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9748-187X
Zhanneta Kozina Department of Olympic and Professional Sports, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, H.S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University, Kharkiv, Ukraine Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5588-4825
Bekir Erhan ORHAN Faculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul Aydın University, Istanbul, Türkiye Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3149-6630

Keywords:

Cognitive-motor training; Tennis; Reactive agility; Decision-making; Match performance

Abstract

Objective: Modern tennis performance increasingly depends on the integration of perceptual-cognitive and movement-related abilities due to the highly dynamic and unpredictable nature of competitive match play. Although combined cognitive-motor training (CCMT) has gained increasing attention in open-skill sports, evidence regarding its effectiveness in competitive tennis remains limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of CCMT on reactive agility, decision-making ability, and match performance in competitive tennis players.

Materials and Methods: An assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial with a parallel-group pretest–posttest design was conducted involving 40 competitive tennis players aged 16–22 years. Participants were randomized into experimental (n = 20) and control groups (n = 20). Following two non-intervention-related withdrawals in the control group, final per-protocol analyses included 38 participants. The experimental group performed combined cognitive-motor training integrated within the regular training schedule for eight weeks, whereas the control group performed regular tennis training only. Reactive agility, tennis-specific decision-making, and match performance were evaluated before and after the intervention period. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model (p < 0.05).

Findings: The experimental group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in reactive agility performance compared with the control group (F = 18.72, p ≤ 0.001). Significant group × time interaction effects were also identified for decision-making accuracy (F = 16.94, p ≤ 0.001) and response time (F = 14.27, p ≤ 0.001). In addition, the experimental group exhibited greater improvements in match-performance indicators, including winners (F = 11.83, p = 0.002), unforced errors (F = 13.26, p = 0.001), rally success percentage (F = 15.11, p ≤ 0.001), point-winning efficiency (F = 13.02, p = 0.001), and tactical efficiency index (F = 12.48, p = 0.001). No serious adverse events or intervention-related injuries were reported during the intervention period.

Conclusions: Combined cognitive-motor training produced greater improvements in reactive agility, tennis-specific decision-making performance, and competitive match outcomes compared with regular tennis training alone. These findings suggest that integrating cognitive challenges within representative sport-specific movement tasks may provide an effective strategy for enhancing perceptual-cognitive and movement-related performance capacities in competitive tennis players. Future studies should investigate long-term retention effects and explore the underlying mechanisms associated with cognitive-motor adaptation in sport-specific training environments.

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