Studia Kinanthropologica

Studia Kinanthropologica 2025, 26(3):89-96

Analysis of match characteristicks and rally pace in male and female players during early and late stages of US Open tennis tournament

J. Carboch, T. Polívka, & V. Redlichová

Univerzita Karlova, Fakulta tělesné výchovy a sportu, Katedra sportovních her

The character of play and match performance varies depending on playing style and opponent quality. To win a Grand Slam, a player must win seven matches in a row, and in the later rounds, players more often face opponents who are more equal and of higher quality. The aim of this study is to compare the rally pace between men and women in the early and late rounds of the US Open. Furthermore, we compare additional match characteristics (i.e., rally time, number of rally shots, time between points, and the work-to-rest ratio) between these tournament phases. In each category, selected factors from eight early-round matches and seven late-round matches were analyzed with the help of independent t-tests and Cohen d. The results did not show statistically significant differences between the observed variables. The rally pace in the late rounds for women (1,25 ± 0,04 s) was identical to that in the early rounds, while for men a slight slowdown occurred from the early rounds (1,18 ± 0,06 s) to the late rounds (1,21 ± 0,03 s). In the late rounds, men played rallies with more shots on average 5,12 ± 1,03 (d= 0,82) compared to the early rounds (4,39 ± 0,72). For women, the results for this variable remained comparable. However, the relative frequency distribution of shots within rallies differed slightly between tournament phases for both sexes. These findings highlight differences and match-play dynamics between the early and late rounds of the tournament, which may be useful for designing specific training for the players.

Keywords: tennis; notational analysis; match performance; load; intensity

Received: December 18, 2025; Revised: January 21, 2026; Accepted: January 23, 2026; Published: January 28, 2026  Show citation