Studia Kinanthropologica 2025, 26(1):15-22 | DOI: 10.32725/sk.2025.004

Body height development and other trends in elite tennis from 2003 to 2023

J. Carboch, & A. Vašíčková
Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta tělesné výchovy a sportu

The aim of this study is to investigate the developmental trends of selected somatic factors in elite male and female tennis players over the period from 2003 to 2023. The research sample consisted of players who were ranked in the Top 20 of the ATP and WTA rankings, and the analysis focused on body height, weight, and BMI. The results showed that between 2003 and 2023, the mean body height of male players increased by 5 cm, while the height of female players rose only slightly. In men, no trend of increasing body weight was observed, and in recent years, weight has even decreased. A decrease in Body Mass Index (BMI) was also observed, suggesting that modern players tend to be leaner and more mobile. This study provides insights into the development of physical characteristics in the best tennis players, which influence their performance. The data obtained could be useful in professional tennis practice and may also be applied in the selection of young tennis talents.

Keywords: somatotype; body weight; BMI; men; women; athletic performance

Received: December 15, 2024; Revised: January 28, 2025; Accepted: January 29, 2025; Published: May 12, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Carboch J, & Vašíčková A. Body height development and other trends in elite tennis from 2003 to 2023. Studia Kinanthropologica. 2025;26(1):15-22. doi: 10.32725/sk.2025.004.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Crespo, M., & Miley, D. (2002). Tenisový trenérský manuál 2. stupně: pro vrcholové trenéry. Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci.
    2. Fett, J., Ulbricht, A., & Ferrauti, A. (2020). Impact of physical performance and anthropometric characteristics on serve velocity in elite junior tennis players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34 (1), 19-202. doi: https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002641 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Filipčič, A., Filipčič, T., & Leskošek, B. (2015) Differences in Physical Fitness among Young Tennis Players in between 1992 and 2008. Collegium antropologicum, 39, 131-143. doi: https://hrcak.srce.hr/file/217244
    4. Gale-Watts, A. S., & Nevill, A. M. (2016). From endurance to power athletes: The changing shape of successful male professional tennis players. European Journal of Sport Science, 16 (8), 948-954. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2016.1192690 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. Giles, B., Peeling, P., & Reid, M. (2024). Quantifying Change of Direction Movement Demands in Professional Tennis Matchplay: An Analysis From the Australian Open Grand Slam. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38 (3), 517-525. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003937 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. Grambow, R., O'Shannessy, C., Born, P., Meffert, D., Vogt, T. (2020). Serve efficiency developments at Wimbledon between 2002 and 2015: a longitudinal approach to impact tomorrow's tennis practice. Human Movement, 21 (1), 65-72. doi: https://doi.org/10.5114/hm.2020.88155 Go to original source...
    7. Chapelle, L., Pion, J., Clarys, P., Rommers, N., & D'Hondt, E. (2023). Anthropometric and physical performance determinants of young tennis players progressing through a talent identification and development programme. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 18 (5), 1469-1477. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/17479541221115855 Go to original source...
    8. Kovacs, M., Mundie, E., Eng, D., Bramblett, J., Kovasc, J. M., & Hosek, R. (2015). How did the top 100 tennis players succeed. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 47 (5 S), 182. doi: https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000476919.20681.41 Go to original source...
    9. Laskovic, M. (2020). Trend of change in ATP and WTA tennis players´ age and anthropometric parameters in the period from 2000 to 2019. Serbian Journal of Sports Sciences, 11 (11), 47-53.
    10. Mohamed, H., Vaeyens, R., Matthys, S., Multael, M., Lefevre, J., Lenoir, M., & Philippaerts, R. (2009). Anthropometric and performance measures for the development of a talent detection and identification model in youth handball. Journal of sports sciences, 27 (3), 257-266. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Nechanický, M. (2023). Statistická analýza vlivu tělesné výšky hráčů ATP na úspěšnost jejich hry [Bakalářská práce, Univerzita Karlova]. Digitální repozitář UK. https://dspace.cuni.cz/handle/20.500.11956/183841
    12. O'Donoghue, P. (2012). Statistics for sport and exercise studies. Routledge.
    13. Sánchez-Muñoz, C., Sanz, D., & Zabala, M., (2007). Anthropometric characteristics, body composition and somatotype of elite jinior tennis players. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 41 (11), 793-799. doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.2007.037119 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Popovic, S., Akpinar, S., Jaksic, D., Matic, R., Bjelica, D., & Popovic, S. (2013). Comparative study of anthropometric measurement and body composition between elite soccer and basketball players. International Journal of Morphology, 31 (2), 461-467. Go to original source...
    15. Reid, M., Morgan, S., & Whiteside, D. (2016). Matchplay characteristics of Grand Slam tennis: implications for training and conditioning. Journal of Sports Sciences, 34 (19), 1791-1798. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    16. Sánchez-Pay, A., Ortega-Soto, A. J., & Sánchez-Alcaráz, B. J. (2019). The influence of player height on service performance in Professional Female Tennis. ITF Coaching & Sport Science Review, 27 (79), 7-10. doi: https://doi.org/10.52383/itfcoaching.v27i79.74 Go to original source...
    17. Söğüt, M. (2019). Height and surface related variations in match play outcomes and rankings in professional men´s tennis. German Journal of Exercise and Sport Research, 49 (3), 332-338. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12662-019-00612-2 Go to original source...
    18. Strudwick, A., & Doran, T. R. D. (2002). Anthropometric and fitness profiles of elite players in two football codes. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 42 (2), 239. Go to original source...
    19. Tilinger, P. (2004). Prognózování vývoje výkonnosti ve sportu. Karolinum.
    20. Triplett, A. N., Ebbing, A. C., Green, M. R., Connolly, C. P., Carrier, D. P., & Pivarnik, J. M. (2018). Changes in collegiate ice hockey player anthropometrics and aerobic fitness over 3 decades. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 43 (9), 950-955. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. Vašíčková A. (2024). Vybrané somatické faktory u elitních hráčů a hráček tenisu [Bakalářská práce, Univerzita Karlova]. Digitální repozitář UK. https://dspace.cuni.cz/handle/20.500.11956/191617
    22. Vaverka, F., & Černošek, M. (2007). Základní tělesné rozměry a tenis. Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci.
    23. Vigh-Larsen, J. F., & Mohr, M. (2022). The physiology of ice hockey performance: An update. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14284 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    24. Zháněl, J., Černošek, M., Lehnert, M., & Cuberek, R. (2008). Diagnostické metody a možnosti jejich využití při dlouhodobém sledování úrovně výkonnostních předpokladů v tenise. In Dovalil, J. & Chalupecká, M. (Eds.), Současný sportovní trénink 2008 (pp. 145-150). UK FTVS.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content