Professional tennis is getting older: age for the top 100 ranked tennis players

Abstract

The aim of this investigation was to determine age-related factors of the top 100 ranked men and women tennis players over the last few decades. The birth date and the ranking position of 1,040 top-100 tennis players (647 men and 393 women) were obtained from official public websites. The mean age of top 100 male tennis players increased significantly from 1984 to 2013 (24.6 ± 3.9 to 27.6 ± 3.2 yr; P < 0.01) and it was also observed in female tennis players from 1998 to 2013 (23.5 ± 3.5 to 24.8 ± 4.2 yr; P < 0.01). On average, a top 100 ranking was reached earlier in women than in men (21.6 ± 3.4 vs 22.8 ± 3.1 yr; P < 0.05). Peak performance was also attained significantly earlier in women than in men (23.6 ± 3.5 vs 24.8 ± 2.9 yr; P < 0.01). Nevertheless, men remained in the top 100 ranking for a slightly longer period than women (4.1 ± 3.1 and 4.6 ± 3.8 yr; P < 0.01). These data indicate a movement towards older ages in top 100 women and men tennis players. This information might be useful for developing process/plans towards longer-term careers.