Relative age effect on elite tennis strategy for players born before and after 1st January 1985

Abstract

Relative age influences participation in professional tennis. The purpose of the current investigation was to compare the %net points played between players born in the first 6 months of the calendar year (H1 players) and players born in the second 6 months (H2 players). There were 116 players included in the current investigation because net statistics were provided for at least 6 of their matches in the 2011 to 2013 US Opens and the 2012 to 2014 Australian Opens. Players were also classified by generation; born before 1st January 1985 or after due to the introduction of surface grading in 2002. The %net points for male players was significantly influenced by generation (p = 0.041) and the interaction of generation and half year of birth (p = 0.040). The 17 H1 male players born in 1985 or later played 12.1±2.5% net points compared with 10.4±2.8% for the 16 H2 male players born in 1985 or later. The H1 players may have developed a greater tendency to go to the net as junior players with a relative age advantage. These players have continued to play more net points as seniors even though they no longer have a relative age advantage.