Differences in set statistics between wheelchair and conventional tennis on different types of surfaces and by gender

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyse the differences in match statistics between conventional tennis (CT) and wheelchair tennis (WT) on different surfaces by gender. Data from 220 sets (127 sets of CT and 93 of WT) from three of the 2014 Grand Slams (Australian Open (AO), Roland Garros (RG), and US Open (UO)) were analysed. The variables related to match, serve, and return were studied in relation to the modality of the match (CT or WT) and type of surface (AO, RG, or UO). Data were collected from the official website of each tournament. A univariate (Mann Whitney U) analysis of data was done to analyse the differences between modalities and types of surface. The results showed that CT players had better serve performances than WT players. However, WT players had better performances in the return than CT players. The values between CT and WT for female players were more similar than male players. Regarding court surface, players of CT had more differences in game statistics than WT for both genders. These values could be used as a reference for peak performance players’ practices and competitions as well as to aid in the understanding of the differences between modalities.