Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.
National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Eur J Sport Sci. 2024 Oct;24(10):1526-1536. doi: 10.1002/ejsc.12177. Epub 2024 Sep 22.
Professional tennis competition at the highest levels requires high physical, technical, tactical, and mental demands. Player retirement is a scenario that often occurs at the highest echelons of the game. The objective of this study was to descriptively determine which factors influence retirement of matches in tennis. Matches from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tours played over 44 and 46 years were included in the study, respectively. The results showed an increasing trend in the incidence of retirements in both ATP and WTA events, especially in recent years. Factors associated with the match characteristics, such as the type of surface, the type of tournament, and the round of the draw, were shown to influence retirement. Variables associated with player characteristics, such as the age difference between players, did not show to influence retirement, whereas the ranking difference did. When comparing ATP and WTA matches, similar results were observed in which surfaces and tournaments had the highest or lowest incidence of retirements. On the other hand, as per the rounds, the results are not conclusive. The findings highlight the growing trend of match retirements in professional tennis and emphasize the relevant influence of match characteristics such as surface type, tournament type, and round of the draw. These insights can guide coaches, players, and tournament organizers in developing strategies to mitigate retirements and inform future research on enhancing player longevity and performance in tennis.
职业网球比赛在最高水平上需要很高的身体、技术、战术和心理要求。球员退役是比赛中高层经常出现的情况。本研究的目的是描述性地确定哪些因素会影响网球比赛的退役。本研究分别纳入了女子网球协会（WTA）和职业网球协会（ATP）巡回赛 44 年和 46 年的比赛。结果表明，ATP 和 WTA 赛事中退役的发生率呈上升趋势，尤其是近年来。与比赛特点相关的因素，如场地类型、比赛类型和抽签轮次，都表明会影响退役。与球员特点相关的变量，如球员之间的年龄差异，并没有显示出对退役的影响，而排名差异则有影响。在比较 ATP 和 WTA 比赛时，也观察到类似的结果，其中表面和比赛的退役发生率最高或最低。另一方面，就轮次而言，结果并不确定。这些发现突出了职业网球比赛中退役趋势的增长，并强调了场地类型、比赛类型和抽签轮次等比赛特点的相关影响。这些见解可以为教练、球员和赛事组织者提供指导，以制定减轻退役的策略，并为提高网球运动员的寿命和表现的未来研究提供信息。
